About the Technology Program and Specialist
Specialist
I teach the Rancho lab program that includes grades K-5. I write the grants that fund some of our technology programs, provide professional development, and serve as program manager for all of the school's technology needs, including procurement, repair, web site updates, and other duties.
I develop and manage classroom technology and learning intervention programs for Math and Reading. Some of these programs are Math in a Flash, Earobics, Lexia Primary Reading, and SRI & Reading Counts. My general education and after-school enrichment programs for students include the weekly broadcast, robotics, computer game creation, and in 2008, introduction to programming (all 3-5 students).
Lab Program
The lab program teaches children technology skills appropriate for their age while enhancing classroom learning. Lab projects are coordinated with classroom curriculum; so while students are creating PowerPoint, for example, they are learning about Language Arts and Social Studies. In the lab I train students to use classroom software programs like Earobics, Lexia Primary Reading and Math in a Flash. There is also time provided for teachers to bring in students to conduct Internet research, do word-processing, and take computerized tests during the day.
Correlation with the Rancho Romero School Plan
Our technology program is fully integrated into the school plan for student achievement. Technology is infused into the classroom learning process; and core subject matter is integrated into the lab program. The program is specifically designed to meet the needs of Rancho students through fully-qualified instruction. Our software tools enable lab instruction maximum flexibility to meet the changing needs our our students and community.
The Rancho technology program has four main branches
1. Technology Skills
2. Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies integration
3. Prevention and Intervention
4. Technology Enrichment
Computer Hardware:
We have 180 instructional computers at Rancho Romero. There are between 5 and 6 computers in each classroom, a library with 9 and a computer lab with 32 student computers. Computers need to be replaced on a regular basis. Parent donations to RREF make this possible. Since teachers depend on computers for instruction and classroom administration needs, the technology department replaces teacher computers every four years. This helps to maximize teacher productivity and reduces down-time. After 4 years, teacher computers continue to be of service as classroom computers for students for up to 10 years of total service.
Effective School Technology includes the following characteristics
Personnel
Training and experience
Learning Process
Using technology in the teaching-learning process
Technology skills
Student Achievement and Development with Technology
Provide information otherwise unavailable
Communication: student communities
Students construct own knowledge, facilitated by teacher.
Engage students & Differentiate instruction
Seven Survival Skills for 21st Century Learning**
1.Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
2.Collaboration Across Networks
3.Agility & Adaptability
4.Initiative & Entrepreneurships
5.Effective Oral & Written Skills
6.Accessing & Evaluating Information
7.Curiosity & Imagination
**The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner
What are the New (21st Century) Literacies?
- Play: problem-solve by experimentation.
- Performance: improvise and discover using alternative identities.
- Simulation: understand and build dynamic models of real-world processes.
- Appropriation: meaningfully sample and remix media content.
- Multitasking: scan one's environment and shift focus as needed to important details.
- Distributed Cognition: use tools to facilitate thinking about information and the process.
- Collective Intelligence: pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal.
- Judgment: evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources.
- Transmedia Navigation: follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities.
- Networking: Search for, synthesize, and disseminate information.
- Negotiation: Travel across diverse communities, understanding and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms.
The Rancho technology program is actively engaging students in these literacies as well as promoting the use in other areas of student education. The lab program's wiki project and music program are examples of engaging students in 21st century learning.