The Gold Oak School District is comprised of two school. Gold Oak serves students in grads K-5 and Pleasant Valley the 6-8 population. At present, Pleasant Valley School has a PC computer lab with 29 Pentium computers to the Internet and a Mac Lab with 16, 5200 Power Mac's also connected to the Internet. Teachers at Pleasant Valley have access to both labs on a regular basis. All teachers at Pleasant Valley have at least one network capable computer in their classroom except for the P.E. and music teachers. At Gold Oak the computer lab has 28 computer stations (a combination of Pentium PCs and Mac LC 580's) with Internet connection, which also can be accessed on a regular basis by all teachers. More than 60% of the teachers at Gold Oak School have at least one network capable computer in their room.

Goals

• Use technology as a tool for teaching and learning
• Research the effectiveness of technology as it relates to standards and curriculum
• Empower students through the creation of a student level technology support system
• Empower parents by using technology to increase literacy skills and give access to student information and Internet resources
• Make technology available in all areas of the school community

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

• The classroom environment must be "technology-rich" in order for change to occur.
• Innovation is driven by the sharing of great ideas.
• Dialogue, whether on-line or face-to-face, becomes an avenue for discussing both successes and frustrations.
• Training tied to standards and to classroom instruction is makes learning meaningful.
• Technical support is essential to student/teacher use of technology.
• Technology in the classroom facilitates constructivist practices.

THE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY EXPERT PROGRAM (ITE)

• Ninety teachers from across the district are trained in the ITE program.
• Thirty participants form each of three consecutive cohorts who receive 9 full days of training as well as after-school workshops throughout the year.
• Full day training for ITE teachers focuses on technology integration with curriculum and district standards in the area of language arts. Workshops focus on the use of specific technology tools.
• ITE classrooms are equipped with a minimum of six networked multimedia computers, color inkjet printer, laser printer, digital camera and flatbed scanner.

THE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP)

• The TAP program trains thirty students per year at the 4th and 6th grade levels.
• These students are selected by ITE teachers from each cohort and serve as a student level technical support system.
• Trained on a bi-weekly basis, they take classes before or after school which focus on classroom software as well as basic computer and network troubleshooting. In the near future, these students will have the opportunity to become Apple Certified technicians.

THE PARENT PROGRAM

• The parent program offers classes to parents on an eight-week course of study.
• Classes are in Spanish and English, and held after school hours and on Saturdays.
• Topics in the parent program range from computer basics and classroom software, to e-mail, the Internet, and multimedia.
• The purpose of the parent program is not simply to offer classes in skill development but to encourage parents to serve as a support mechanism for technology-rich classrooms across the district.

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER (PDC)

• The PDC is a state-of-the-art facility for staff development in technology. All ITE training, the TAP program and parent classes are held in this center.
• The PDC is comprised of thirty networked, multimedia computer workstations, scanners, digital cameras, video cameras, and laser printers.
• The design of the center fosters collaborative learning, as each group of four workstations are interconnected. All workstations are ergonomically designed such that monitors reside below the level of the desk. This allows for easy communication between group members.

LAPTOP LOAN PROGRAM

To encourage learning at all moments, laptops are made available to teachers, parents and students involved in the programs mentioned above. Teachers use the computers for instruction and network management in the classroom, and to access the network from home. Students and parents use the computers to reinforce what is learned in class and to communicate with teachers via e-mail.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

In the coming year, community centers across Lennox will be provided with a computer kiosk for access to the Lennox Network and the Internet. The first to receive such access is the Healthy Start Community Center. Future locations include the Lennox Public Library, the Lennox Sheriff's Station, and the Richstone Family Center.