If you're new to JoeWoodOnline, try subscribing to my RSS feed. I promise you'll find a lot of helpful & fun stuff - and it's always free!
Since starting my new job one of my projects has been working on the redesign of one of our high schools. This high school is over a century old and is receiving modernization bond money. While modernizing the facilities, the school is also refocusing its curriculum and instructional goals to meet the needs of 21st century learners and prepare a future workforce. As part of the instructional technology team, one of our tasks has been to develop a plan for a 21st Century Classroom. At the moment we’re starting with one building, a classroom building, consisting of seven classrooms shared by multiple teachers and teacher workstation area where each teacher will have their own office to meet individually with students and colleagues during office hours. Below you will find the three scenarios we are proposing for each of the seven classrooms. I’m curious what you think.Â
As you look through the three plans keep the following things in mind.
- The plan covers instructional technology – how the teacher will be delivering content to students.
- These classrooms will house subjects such as English, math, and history. Eventually, we will be developing plans for the more specialized classrooms (science, media labs, career pathway classrooms).
- The plan doesn’t cover any student technology, because the modernization bond does not cover these tools. However, a secondary plan, we still have to finalize will involve a COW of 30 laptops (maybe Macbooks or netbooks) for each classroom.
- At the front of each room is a storage rack enclosed in a cabinet for all of the audio, video, and computer components
- Adjacent to the rack/cabinet are two sliding whiteboards that open up to reveal an interactive whiteboard or large LCD display.
- The plan does include Wireless N for each room, floor and wall outlets, DVI connections when possible, VGA inputs in each corner, and Ethernet drops in groups of four.
- Ideally, the instructional technology hardware plan we choose will eventually be replicated in every library or media center throughout the district (70+ schools) to provide professional development and as a model for future modernization at each site.
So take a moment to view our list and please poke it apart. Your scrutiny will make the proposal stronger and in the end make instruction more effective for our students.
Thanks!
Joe
Photo: Video Conferencing Center for Interactive Teaching – Emory University by jisc_infonet on Flickr
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related posts:
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I am an elementary teacher, but I also work as a consultant with RSDSS at the San Joaquin County office of Education. My focus is on improving instruction. In my work with the county I have observed many teachers and therefore have seen a vast spectrum of technology in use, or not. at all grade levels. (just some background, so you know where I”m coming from).
In my classroom, I have an “interwrite pad”. I am piloting this technology. I has been pretty easy to use and I’ve heard that they are more durable than the interactive white board. The down side – it has taken awhile to develop handwriting that is legible on the board. A big upside to the interactive board over the white board is that I can be anywhere in the classroom and still be writing on the front wall – so it is helpful with engagement and classroom behavior management. Depending on your teachers, you may also want to consider how easy the technology is to use and troubleshoot. I am moderatly ‘techy’ and have no problems with the interwrite board.
You probably know already, but I have noticed a difference in engagement when a projector and screen is used – even if the presentation isn’t all that great. (It’s like I’m speaking their language when I put it on the big screen). However, cool technology and engagement won’t go far if the instruction is subpar.
Given a choice, I would rather have 4 speakers in the room. Also improves engagement in the classrooms I have observed. I think speakers and a teacher microphone would really help especially if the white noise (air conditioner etc) is excessive. (If you could find a way to pipe it right into their ipods you’d really be onto something).
So that is my comment for you. Hope it helps.
I am not sure I see a huge difference between the basic and the mid range?!?!? I do think the bigger the white board the better!
I always worry about throwing a ton of $ into newer things (i.e. videoconferencing equipment) without the proper professional development! Will it really be used?
Anything new is great and super!!!
Hey Joe,
Just heard that you’ve joined the San Juan USD. Congratulations! I still remember your last year’s CUE preso on Google Earth as one of my favorites and am hoping you’ll be presenting again this year. Lucky SJUSD.
Gail Desler
I agree that the mid-range and the basic packages are similar. I really only see the difference being the videoconferencing equipment and the size of the board. The more I see collaboration going on in my classes the more I can see the benefit of either all the students having access to wireless tablets or a promethean board all the students can use. It’s just one more opportunity for the students to work together. However, it seems important for all students to have access to these tools so groups of students can be looking at the same screen and everyone can contribute. Using a computer doesn’t work well, but having students collaborate on some sort of graphic organizer that’s being made electronically rather than on paper would work well. It’s one thing I wish I had. I have to either lead the class in collaboration and brainstorming or students have to work in much smaller groups focused around one computer. It’d be nice if all the students could throw up their ideas onto one screen with their own tablet, pen, etc. I don’t know how that would be done, but it’d be nice!