Technology

Computer Network Manager ... Bill Brophy

Supervisor of Instructional Services ... Patrick Higgins

Caldwell-West Caldwell District Technology Plan 2010-2013

Technology is everywhere. It has integrated into our lives, our homes, our occupations, the way we communicate, and more recently, the way in which we educate our children. The recent rapid advances in technology are allowing us to provide a new and much needed set of life and workplace readiness skills to our students. The current generation of children in our school are what author Mark Prensky calls "Digital Natives" while their parents and teachers are "Digital Immigrants".

HARDWARE:

Over 800 Dell multimedia computers with flat screen monitors and Dell Laptop Computers are installed in the district for use by Pre-K through Grade 12 students. Each computer is connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) within each school. The individual school LAN's communicate with each other through a fiber optic, Wide Area Network (WAN) which enables every computer in the district to share information, software, and communicate with each other. Most of our computers operate on a Citrix "Thin Client" network solution. Each computer also has the ability to access an extensive amount of data and research available through the Internet. Each student in Grades 6-12 is given an account where they can save data and projects on the district server. Students in Grades K-5 have storage through a teacher administered account. James Caldwell High School and the Grover Cleveland Middle School each have three hard-wired desktop computer labs. Every classroom in the district has 1-4 desktop computers for student and teacher use.

All district schools also have wireless laptop carts called computers on wheels or "COWs". These COWs allow any classroom to become a computer lab. The mobile labs have either 12 or 30 computers, a color laser printer, and an LCD projector for teacher and student use. Certain teaching departments have been assigned laptops to facilitate technology integration and at least one teacher in each building as well have been issued “Digital Backpacks” as part of the CWC “Digital Backpack” grant program.

Our students have access to video, cable, satellite, and local "in-house" broadcasts directly on either 27" television/monitors that have been installed in each classroom throughout the district or through ceiling mounted LCD projectors that create a "large screen" TV. Teachers can choose to display broadcasts or display the output from their computer on the televisions thus enabling them to demonstrate technology skills, software, Internet sites, use streaming video, or show student presentations and projects. This is in addition to the cable TV that each classroom is already able to receive. Most have VCRs and DVD players connected. James Caldwell High School has ceiling mounted LCD projectors in each classroom. Grover Cleveland Middle School and the four elementary schools have ceiling mounted LCD projectors in select classrooms in each building.

All schools have access for students and staff to the latest in instructional technology including SMART Boards, Polycom Distance Learning Systems, LCD projectors, ELMO document cameras, digital cameras, podcasting equipment, camcorders, and more.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Computers and related hardware are just one part of the technology picture. We support and train all of our staff through a series of technology professional development offerings. K-12 staff members have been very busy attending in-house workshops on the use and integration of tool-based and supplemental software. Courses have been in a variety of areas including multimedia presentation skills, word processing, creating digital movies, web site design, creating Web Quests, spreadsheets, podcasting, using graphic organizer software, technology integration, digital storytelling, Digital UbD, desktop publishing and a lot more! Our staff has been very eager to educate themselves with these new, exciting skills, and classes have been overflowing.

SOFTWARE:

Another key component to any technology integration is selecting the proper software that correlates to specific areas of the curricula. Teachers and administrators have been reviewing and selecting various software applications that will help supplement, facilitate, and enhance our various grade levels and subject curricula. Current software and subscriptions available to all staff and students include Microsoft Office, Inspiration, Study Island, United Streaming/Discovery Video on Demand, Adobe, CAD, Photo Manipulation tools, Grade book software, Movie Maker Software, Comic Book Creators, Audacity Sound Recorders,and much more.

We are all very excited about the integration of technology that is currently underway in our schools and the possibilities it brings to our students. Our children will grow up in a much different world than their parents did and it will take an entirely new set of skills to prosper and compete. Technology is one of the components that will make that possible.

PERIPHERALS:

Each school in the district has many peripherals to allow staff and students to integrate technology into the instructional program. They include digital cameras, digital camcorders, podcasting equipment, iPods, scanners, color laser printers, interactive white boards, Turning Point information retrieval systems, Vernier science probes, and much more!

For the 2010-11 school year, all special education classrooms ain the district received interactive white boards (IWB). This supplements the IWB already in place in other classrooms in the school. Further, every school in the district now had a wireless network as well as several COW's dedicated specifically to special education classrooms. These items were paid from federal ARRA funds.

The district phone system was recently upgraded to a Cisco system using Voice over Internet Protocol. (VOIP). This system will be both energy saving and cost-saving for the district.

Last Modified on May 15, 2009