Technology

Stone Academy of Communication Arts

Technology Program

Stone's 2011-12 Technology Plan (pdf) This document contains plans for all 4 schoolwide goals. Scroll to the Technology portion.

Technology is a vital component of the Communication Arts Program. Teachers and students recognize the need for technology skills to function in today's world. The SIC technology subcommittee has developed goals for the next five years that include upgrading equipment, providing for teacher professional development that is necessary to implement student technology standards, and for using a variety of technologies for home/school communication. Technology is used as a means to enhance teaching and learning in all curricular areas.

National Technology Standards for Students: Stone teachers are implementing the standards at all grade levels. All district teachers take a site-developed Technology Skills Assessment test to determine areas in which they are not proficient. Help is available at school and through district workshops. The school district has implemented the Intel Teach to the Future 40-hour course as the measure of technology proficiency for teachers seeking recertification. Stone teachers have completed the Intel Teach to the Future class, and many have completed advanced Intel courses as well.

Promethean Boards in Classrooms

Classrooms in five year kindergarten through fifth grade have Promethean Boards. These interactive white boards are great instructional tools. Teachers prepare lesson "flip charts" in advance and show them on the boards. Students and teachers may use writing tools to interact with the prepared materials during the lesson and the altered screens can be saved. Teachers can pull up math manipulatives, calendars, graphs, charts, maps, and a wealth of other tools with a few clicks. They can also use the boards to show internet sites, streamed educational video, and Jumpstart News!

Stationary Computer Lab (32 Stations)

The computer lab is also equipped with an interactive Smart Board used to project the teacher's computer screen for all to see easily. The stationary lab is used for MAPS testing twice a year and mostly for Compass Learning (math and language arts) the remainder of the time. After all classes are scheduled for Compass Learning, there are a few time periods left for other activities. Teachers supervise their students while in the lab.

Stone Computer Lab Software:

Windows XP
Microsoft Office Pro (Word, Power Point, Excel, Publisher)
Internet Explorer
Kid Pix Deluxe 4
Accelerated Reading
Star Reading

Wireless Laptop Carts

Students use laptops for technology-integrated projects in whatever subject areas they are currently studying. Students learn the student technology standards while continuing to work within the curricular areas of language arts, math, science, social studies, etc. Wireless laptops are on two carts (24, and 30) that can be wheeled to the classroom. Teachers sign up to use carts. Computers have Windows XP operating system and Office XP. There is a third cart of 8 laptops reserved for Challenge.

Media Tools

Also, teachers and students have access to scanners, digital cameras, Flip Video camcorders, MP3 players, and editing equipment. The TV Production studio is available to any teacher who wants to use it for video editing and recording with a green wall, which allows for virtual backgrounds.

Teacher Websites

Every teacher has a district website where parents can find valuable information, such as homework, class rules, events, internet research sites, student work, contact information, studycasts, and class blogs. Some teachers have student-created subsites linked from their teacher website.

Network

The entire building is networked for internet access, phone, cable, and satellite TV. Second floor classrooms, the library, and Challenge classrooms have wireless computer access.

Continuous Improvement Plan

The Technology Vision Planning Committee is made up of teachers from each grade level, and related arts. They meet once a month to implement the school-wide Technology Goal and amend the Technology component of the School Portfolio for the following year. The Committee Chairman reports to the School Improvement Council each month.

District Technology Plan

Highlights from Stone's Technology Plan:

100% of faculty will receive Professional Development in Technology Integration throughout the year, with a focus on blogs for 2011-12.
Teachers will continue to use technology for communication.
100% of faculty will implement technology integration with the curriculum.
All students will learn their grade level technology standards.

Benchmark Technology Activities

Students at every grade level will complete activities which will teach standards for that grade level.

Kindergarten: All kindergarten students will access the common drive, open a saved Word document, use word processing tools to type and edit several sentences, insert a picture, save, and print the document.

First Grade: All first grade students will access their folder in the common drive, open a Power Point project, insert new slide(s), image(s), and text, close, and save.

Second Grade: All second grade students will open a Power Point project, change the background, insert at least three slides, sound, text box, image, add slide transitions, save, close, and access again from the common drive.

Third Grade: All third grade students will open a new Publisher document from a template to create a tri-fold brochure. They will compose text with information they accessed from the internet and other sources, rearrange text boxes, insert pictures, edit, save, and print South Carolina Travel brochures.

Fourth Grade: All fourth grade students will work cooperatively with a partner during the course of Math Unit on data and probability to gather data, open a new Excel spreadsheet, set up columns and rows, enter data, create a chart or graph, save, print, and close.

Fifth Grade: All fifth grade students will use either Power Point or Publisher to create a Guide to Barrier Island. they will conduct surveys, collect data, and use a spreadsheet to create charts and/or graphs to convey data. They will insert these charts/graphs into the guide. Students will use information found through personal experience or from the internet and other sources and type in text. They will take pictures with the digital camera and insert them into the guide. They will present their projects to an audience, either through performance or printed media.

Connect to the School District of Greenville County