ROGERS — Teachers helped plan the technology purchases headed to Rogers schools this fall.
Administrators tried last year to make an equitable distribution of technology based on a student head count. This year, spurred by the new technology emphasis in the Common Core standards rolling out in Arkansas, administrators asked teachers to turn in lists of what technology they could use to meet the new goals.
At A Glance
Teaching Teachers
As a result of Common Core, the Rogers School District set minimum expectations on eight areas:
• Collaboration
• Multimedia presentations
• Interactivity
• Internet research
• Communication
• Data
• Word processing
• File management
Source: Staff Report
“They had to make a case,” said Chris Carter, chief information officer for the district.
On the district checklist for this fall are 68 new interactive whiteboards, 90 iPads, 500 netbooks, 34 laptops and accessories for the new equipment. Other money will purchase another half-dozen interactive whiteboards. Grants, such as those from the Rogers Public Education Foundation, can supplement technology needs, or principals can elect to pay for purchases from the general budget, said Kathy Hanlon, district treasurer.
A dedicated technology millage nets about $2.5 million for technology upgrades and purchases each year in the Rogers district. Part of the money is used in a six-year rotation to keep the district’s 6,500 desktop computers up-to-date, Carter said. The remainder is used for new technology.
In addition to new classroom gadgets, there will be an increase in the number of wireless access points in the district and the connection speed to the central server will be upgraded so backups and access to password-protected school data will be faster.
Technology takes many forms at the elementary school level, said Virginia Abernathy, assistant superintendent of elementary curriculum and instruction.
At A Glance
Learning Apps
Thousands of applications are available for iPads and iPods. Apple features educational apps on a variety of topics on their website and through the iTunes store.
• Literacy: “How Rocket Learned to Read,” $4.99. The 40-page beginning reader features animations and audio as part of an interactive book.
• Math: “Mathboard,” $4.99. Parents or teachers can set up a pop quiz for children on this computerized chalkboard with the ability to review answers and track progress later.
• Science: “Encylopaedia Britannica: Volcanoes,” $4.99. An interactive map, puzzles and quizzes help children discover the world’s most powerful volcanoes.
• History: “Maps of the World,” free. Children can view high-resolution historical maps from different eras.
Source: Staff Report
Awareness of technology is increasing, but with requests originating from the individual schools, it looks different at each building. Some principals are focusing on netbook carts while others are looking at a variety of devices.
“We’re all over the page,” Abernathy said.
At Eastside Elementary School, Kendra Bookout, math facilitator, co-wrote a request for teacher iPads. The new tools are not classroom toys, Bookout said, but will be used to track student performance and put data, quite literally, at teachers’ fingertips.
Teachers at Eastside already review quarterly testing and plan lessons based on what they know their students have learned. The tablets will be used to track daily student progress in a spreadsheet application. Once the data is in the device, the information can be graphed, grouped, analyzed and available instantly. Bookout hopes it will help teachers better evaluate individual lessons and find and fix student mistakes quickly.
“A basketball coach would never watch a player do incorrect form on a layup 20 times,” Bookout said.
Daily data will give teachers a constantly fresh picture of what students know, she said. Of course, the iPads can also be used with children, Bookout said.
“We really have a vision for preparing kids for the world they’re going to live in and they are digital learners,” Bookout said.
Training for teachers is also a big part of the picture, Carter said.
Eastside teachers signed a commitment to using the devices. Several training sessions have been scheduled for this summer. A technology conference scheduled for August will cover topics from creating charts and working with presentation software to trouble-shooting hardware failure and using applications to promote student learning.
New goals built into Common Core require students to be familiar with technology and use it to demonstrate what they have learned. Expanding technology means more learning for teachers, Carter said.
“Instead of a book report, they’re doing a PowerPoint,” Carter said. “The teachers have to know what they’re doing.”