New
year will feature technology enhancements to
bring world closer to GCISD students
When students return to school in
January in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, they will find some additional
technology features that enhance learning.
Raylene Renfrow, executive
director of Technology Services, says that district staff and patrons
have been collaborating to make technology more meaningful in the
classroom and to provide additional training for teachers.
“A misconception is that
technology is only about data, wires and boxes,” says Renfrow. “The reality is that technology must also be about
instruction and kids. Technology
provides us with additional tools for GCISD students to learn better,
faster, and with a global focus. We’re excited about some upcoming
enhancements that will make that an even greater reality across our
district.”
Some technology enhancements
planned for early 2002 include:
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A GCISD instructional database—The
newly-created web database will feature lesson plans and other
classroom teaching tools that can be customized and downloaded for
teachers by subject. Communications about the database and content
will be rolled out to teachers at the start of the spring semester.
A key component for ensuring the database’s success is that it is
searchable on the web by subject. |
|
Distance Learning—Learning
is no longer confined to the classroom or
field trips, as the district has emphasized this growing technology to
provide educational services for students, not only within GCISD, but
outside the district as well. GCISD already provides successful distance
learning experiences with American Sign Language and French IV, as well
as virtual field trips for students. Plans for 2002 include enhanced use
of tutorials, student-to-teacher conferences, teacher sharing with other
districts, cooperative ventures within our community, and
videoconferencing for technical assistance and follow-up, as well as meetings with teachers,
administrators, and students. |
|
Enhanced Internet capabilities—GCISD
students already experience the
world of the Internet. But foresight and planning have enabled the
Internet to be utilized in additional settings and at a faster speed. As
late as 2000, the district had 1 megabyte of bandwidth for utilization
district-wide (the speed a single home might currently experience with
DSL). Currently, that bandwidth is now at 6 megabytes. However, in
January 2002, that bandwidth will be increased to 21 megabytes for use
across the district’s 17 campuses and various facilities. The
additional bandwidth is critically needed to support some of the
district’s long-term objectives to use streaming videos and provide
teacher training across the Internet. GCISD is already using the
Internet to communicate critical information in a timely fashion. For
example, when the district
implemented procedural changes in the handling of the mail due to safety
concerns, a four-minute video was fed to all workstations. Employees
viewed the safety video by watching it on their computer monitor at
their convenience, rather than by the traditional method of watching a
video in a central location on a television at a set time. The district
is also planning to incorporate ways for providing student information
via the Internet during 2002. Use of the Internet is also not confined
to a stationary lab. GCISD has added at least one mobile wireless lab
(typically 30 computers with Internet access) at every campus. This way,
teachers can bring the world to
students in a variety of settings...the classroom... outdoors...field
trips...or in other ways only limited by the teachers’ visions. |
On the horizon for the coming
year are such technology enhancements as optical storage and retrieval
of documents (eliminating voluminous paperwork and staff time for
copying and filing), additional educator preparation (emphasis on “anytime,
anywhere” learning and Project Integrate teacher training of
technology), Push Technology (in which standard software can be loaded
from a central server to an individual computer in minutes, rather than
the traditional hours that require manually loading disks), and the
development of Student Electronic Portfolios.
Technology Services is also
aggressively pursuing additional grant dollars and is working to integrate a
user-friendly method for connecting students with the Texas Library
Connection. This service provides access to such information as the
Encyclopedia Britannica, the Webster’s Dictionary and other research
information.
The department became designated
as both a Dell Certified Support Center as well as an Apple Certified
Support Center during 2001, which means that it gets paid for providing
service for its computers for warranty work and repairs. This is one of
numerous ways Technology Services is looking to provide the highest
caliber of technology at lesser costs.
The GCISD Board recognizes that
technology is the right tool to bring the world closer to students and staff
and to gain a global learning experience. As such, the district has
armed itself for future growth in this area. Its network possesses the
capability for future growth through its OC-12 network that provides an
end-to-end solution.
Dr. Kevin Singer, superintendent,
lauds the district’s vision for technology. “I am thankful that
the district decision-makers were visionary and that GCISD is able to
provide the best technology opportunities for our students.”
A listing of GCISD Technology
Services Projects/Accomplishments from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2001 can be
reviewed on the district’s web site at www.gcisd-k12.org.
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