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St. Mary School Technology Vision Administrators, teachers, parents, guardians, and students will become continuous, resourceful, engaged learners as well as ethical, responsible citizens ready to anticipate and address the complex challenges of a global technological society. St. Mary School community is committed to providing an academic environment that leverages technology to prepare our students for the 21st century. We believe in providing quality instruction that promotes academic excellence by challenging students to think critically, solve problems creatively and collaboratively to communicate effectively through the integration of technology, as well as through the written word, multi-media and digital storytelling. The use of technology will enhance students’ proficiency in standard based learning skills. To realize this goal it is essential that technology be current and innovative. Technology will aid our students in becoming skilled, knowledgeable, independent and self-directed learners.
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Technology will aid our students in becoming skilled, knowledgeable, independent and self-directed learners. The development of St. Mary’s Technology Plan was driven by the school’s goals and objectives for technology. They are as follows: Goal: To support the implementation of Instructional Technology Plan. Objectives: The Technology Plan includes an avenue for community involvement, a foundation for utilizing the engaged learning model, ongoing staff development and continuous analysis of the implementation of technology. |
Avenue for Community Involvement
The St. Mary Technology News flyer published by the Technology Committee of St. Mary School provides St. Mary Stakeholders with information about implementation of our five year Technology Plan.The Technology Committee Members are a group of gifted people who give generously of their time and talent to the faculty and staff of St. Mary School.
Our Parent Community through its generosity has brought life to our Tech Plan and is seeing to it that their children are prepared with life skills for the work place.
Communicating with the Community---- Do you want to know what projects your child is doing in school? Did you misplace your school calendar? Is the school closed because of weather? Do you want your children doing their research from Kid Friendly Web Sites? Would you like to know about the different clubs and organizations at St. Mary School? Check it out!-------www.stmaryschool.net.
Engaged Learning Model
The Teachers and Technology Coordinator continue to develop projects that integrate technology into the curriculum. Online research is second nature to St. Mary students as it can be done in the lab, library, and classrooms.Global Communication continues at St. Mary's, The Wilderness Classroom Organization continues to work with our students at St. Mary School. Our guides, Dave, and Eric utilize technology, connecting with our students while bringing educational adventures into the classroom. The 2009-2010 school year will find our 3rd -8th grade students moving on to a new adventure called North American Odyssey. It will begin on Earth Day, (April 22) 2010. The Wilderness Classroom team will paddle 1,400 miles by sea kayak from Seattle, Washington to Skagway, Alaska during the first stage of their 11,700 mile journey across North America.
The Pacific Northwest is teaming with life above and below surface. They plan to study a variety of animals including Orca Whales, Gray Whales, Seals, Sea Otters, Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Salmon, and Bald Eagles.
The ecosystems they will explore include giant kelp forests, inter-tidal zones, and temperate rainforests. The Pacific Northwest consists of the largest temperate rainforest eco-zone in the world! We will also be looking at several environmental issues and how they impact the region, people and history of the area. For example, as we approach Skagway, our studies will turn toward glaciers. The shrinkage of glaciers serves as an indicator of global climate change, affecting the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the world. The explorers will be updating the web site from mid-April through the end of the school year! This information has come from; http://www.wildernessclassroom.com.
United Streaming has been added to our daily researching of topics. This has taken teaching to the next level. St. Mary School have been members of Discovery Education for several years adding excitement to their everyday lesson plans. http://streaming.discovereducation.com
The classrooms have at 3 to 5 computer work stations, all of which are online. TV presentation systems and VCR's have been added to each classroom from 2nd to 8th grade. A mobile cart outfitted with a TV and VCR are available to teachers in Preschool through 1st grade. A new addition to each Homeroom and the Spanish is a mounted Smart Board,there is a mobile Smart Board for Music, Library and Technology, this will move teachers and students to engage more in interactive strategies during their school day.
The 2010 / 2011 school year again finds the Administration and Technology Committee supporting the faculty to continue to work toward innovative use of technology in the classroom. Teachers have a "Technology Core Skill Checklist" to help them "set" their technology goals for the school year. After school training is offered by the technology coordinator to help the faculty work through the "Technology Core Skill Checklist" to "achieve" their technology goals. The teachers will be engaged in after school in-services to learn the exciting iPhoto and iMovie software. In the beginning of the school year, 2010-2011, there was a two day training class to refresh and review Smart Boards, learn about our new computers in the lab, and train for Edline. Two Smart Board in services were held in September and February where teachers shared lesson plans with their peers and Smart Board trainers were on hand giving suggestions to our teachers.
Room 5-3 English DEL
Video Clips of Smart Board in action.
English Class Room 5-3, 10-10-09
Room 5-4 Math
Room 5-4 Science Test Review
Room 3-18 Reading
Room 7-9 & 710 Math
Room 3-18 & 6-7 Christmas Jeopardy with Partner class.
Upcoming conferences that some of the staff will take part in are: The Illinois Technology Conference for Educators 2010-2011 sponsored by the Illinois Computing Educators ( ICE ) in February http://www.il-tce.org. Some of the teachers took summer classes through the Office of Catholic Schools called "August Opportunities." Throughout the whole school year teachers are informed about Educational Technology Workshops such as Technology classes offered by BER and St. John Fishers so staff development is on going.
