Tech Committee Notes

The first meeting of the 09-10 Tech Committee took place Tuesday Morning, 5/19 at 7:15. It was well attended by staff, administration, board members and community members. The agenda was brief:

Introduction and current purpose for the committee

1. Consistent funding streams are limited - current REAP funds are no longer available due to our increased enrollment
2. Technology is expensive and has a significant impact on the general fund if not supported in some manner
3. Technology is necessary in education to help our students be prepared to enter life after K-12 school and we have to provide accordingly
4. The Instructional support levy is a means of funding that would be consistent over the course of time and allow plans to be drawn up accordingly

Vision - discuss the vision of the Tech Committee and how it relates to the Earlham Schools

1. Current Vision - To utilize and integrate technology as a tool to augment student achievement, growth and preparedness within the classroom and beyond.
2. The group discussed what this meant to them and were in agreement that it basically captured what it is we want to do
3. Group was charged with thinking about the vision and doing some word smithing to share with the group next time.

Plan - begin to formulate (brainstorm) items we would like to include as part of a ten year technology plan

1. Elementary and MS/HS folks separated and discussed their ideas about potential items for the plan.
2. Some of the thoughts were:

• Possibilities for students with smart boards
• LCDs and Elmo's for classrooms (how can students use these instead of them becoming lecture tools for teachers)
• Availability of the computer lab
• Technology of elementary curriculum and what it should look like
• Professional development for teachers once the technology has been put into place
• Tech teacher for the elementary
• Spark devices for science
• Get an IT person in place before purchasing equipment
• Technology planning for a new building in the future
• Electronic Books - server storage upgrade
• 1 to 1 laptop initiative
• Larger drop down screen in the auditorium
• Digitize the Central Office
• Large LCD in commons to broadcast daily announcements, lunch menu, extracurricular results

We finished up the discussion with an emphasis that the tools should have a student focus as well as a staff focus. The next meeting will be held during the week of June 14.