From: Mathey, Kim (IMD)
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2005
10:27 AM
To: @TechPoint; @Librarian; @Middle Principals; @High
Principals; @Elem. Principals
Subject: Levy Building Funds: Part
2
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Red
Dear
Principals and Tech Point people,
Some
principals have been asking for examples of how schools are managing the $10/FTE
building allocations from the Instructional Tech Levy. I will share some
effective strategies that I have seen so far. I encourage others to add to the
ideas here. As a reminder, all funds must be Qualified Capital Expenses
(sorry, no professional development pay out of this pot).
Models for
decision-making
- We recommend you
pull together your Levy Implementation or Learning Team to discuss
needs, as they pertain to instruction and curriculum. Identify
building needs. Make sure these fit into Qualified Capital Expenses
(See Part 1
e-mail).
-
In
working with your team, focus on your School Improvement Plan goals and
strategies. After you have addressed safety issues (see below), you will want to
make sure that your purchases support your curriculum, instruction, and student
learning. Rather than looking at spreading all the funds equally across all the
classrooms, we strongly recommend you assess your building needs
and place funds where you get the biggest bang for it. You can do more with
shared resources than giving each teacher a small amount of money. We want to
help you ensure that you are able to address learning needs
effectively.
Safety/Environmental
Issues
Problem:
Some
classrooms have safety issues with loose cords snaking across traffic areas.
These can be tripping and/or fire hazards.
Solution:
1. Purchase rubber bumper strips that cover cords
that go from the wall outlet out to the Classroom Tech Station. The heavy duty
strips will hold multiple cords and handle equipment being run over them. (It
does create a bump, and therefore jars the equipment, especially if not move
slowly.)
2. Purchase a very wide roll of Velcro (2” or 3")
instead of the rubber bumpers. (Cheaper, but not as protective of the
cords).
3.
Purchase moveable carts to hold the Classroom Tech Station equipment. The cart
can be rolled off to the side, when not in use.
4.
Ceiling mount projectors (This is the most costly solution. Other districts
estimate the average cost per classroom is $976, for ceiling mount,
electrical, video, audio, and computer cables, and a wall face plate with
these jacks included. All of this is installed to code. We are
currently discussing adding this to the cost of a future
levy.)
5.
(Free solution) Unplug cord from wall and roll up, when the CTS is not in
use.
-------------------------------------------
Problem:
Some
classrooms want to have a large open area in the front of the room where
students can sit together for direct instruction and other activities. The
Classroom Tech Station can get in the way of this space.
Solution:
1. Purchase moveable carts to hold the Classroom
Tech Station equipment. The cart can be rolled off to the side, when not in
use.
2.
Help teachers rethink this activity area location. Could it be placed in another
area of the room?
3.
Ceiling mount projectors (See #3 above.) This will allow the doc cam and laptop
to be placed on a smaller table that is butted up against the front wall. No
cords to get in the way, and no need to have the station be out in the middle of
the room.
Instructional
Needs
Shared
resources touch many or all students in the school. Tools can be made available
as needed. Some examples of shared resources might
be:
Hardware:
- Digital cameras and camcorders - used for recording
lessons, presentations, and activities, presenting student work, sequencing
activities, review of fieldtrips and other activities - especially supports
the visual learning component for the primary grades
- Color
printers - useful when combined with digital cameras, and publishing some
student work. Color can be especially effective in the younger grades and
special needs programs. (Replacement
ink cartridges may not be purchased with these funds.)
- Laptop computers - add these to your mobile learning
lab, or start building a new lab - to support instruction and student access
to information and learning tools in the content areas. (Be sure to
include the necessary software!)
- Graphic calculators or cables to connect graphic
calculators to the projectors - Math instruction
- Science probes, microscope adaptors for the doc
cams
- Audience response systems - hand-held voting devices
that allow teachers to check for basic understanding before continuing in a
lesson
- Mice,
keyboards... for classroom tech station computer
- Smart
boards or Smart-tablets - to allow whole class interaction of a single
computer screen. Students can manipulate computer by writing on or touching
the interactive white board.
Software and On-line Services*: (Just a few
examples)
- Visit
the Metiri site to read reviews of software in math, literacy, and science.
Each school has a special password to access the site. Contact Kim if you have
forgotten yours. http://www.Metiri.com/techsolutions/
- Student access to web services such as www.turnitin.com - to
support student research and writing in secondary curriculum
- Geometer's Sketchpad - "dynamic construction and exploration tool
that enables students to explore and understand mathematics ", "full dynamic
power to the study of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries, algebra,
trigonometry, precalculus, and calculus" for secondary math students - http://www.keypress.com/catalog/products/software/Prod_GSP.html
- Explore Learning
(interactive math & science flash interactive manipulatives for
6th grade & up) - http://www.explorelearning.com/
- On-line services for
student e-mail, website templates...
*On-line Services refers to applications that run on-line, such as
listed above. On-line subscriptions are not allowed with these
funds. For example, purchasing on-line encyclopedias or magazine subscriptions.
Lori,
Steve, or I would be happy to assist your team in developing a process
and selecting tools that would support your School Improvement
Plans.
Thanks,
Kim
Kim Mathey
Manager of Instructional
Technology
Edmonds
School District
Teaching and Learning
Division/IMD
20420-68th Ave
W.
Lynnwood, WA 98036
425-670-7299
matheyk@edmonds.wednet.edu
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