Skyview+Elementary


 * Skyview Elementary

What we have now:**

Skyview Elementary is comprised of approximately 835 students. We currently have one teacher/one student computer per classroom. We have two working computer labs with about 30 computers each for classroom lab time. In addition we have a bank of 12 computers in the main hallway for student use. All computers in the building are internet accessible and are linked to networked printers. Each grade level has a networked printer in their pods. We currently have 14 Smart Boards in our building, one of these is located in the library and all teachers are encouraged to use it. We currently have four Mac Books at our site. These are brand new to us, and so we are currently in the process of initiating the use of them with students. Two iTouch handheld devices have been purchased in the last few months and we already have students who are excelling with this new technology. We are in the process of getting funding for an entire iTouch lab for student use. Two Flip cameras will be in our hand in the next few weeks, with four more placed on order so that students can create their own podcasts, and iMovies.

Each classroom is housed with a TV and DVD player with has access to United Streaming. We hope to see the TVs fade out eventually being replaced with projectors. This year, we purchased with PTO funds, Renaissance Place, which has broadened our students us of the reading program, AR. Parents have been thoroughly pleased with this new technology and our students are able to broaden their reading choices.


 * What do we need/want:**

At Skyview, we would like to see mobile labs introduced to our site. We have 2 labs, but with as many students that we have, there is very limited time actually in the lab. With mobile labs, projects could be completed in any room. With this we also need access to Wi-Fi, so that students could use the internet and tools in any classroom around the building. With the introduction of the iTouchs, Wi-Fi would be a great tool for communication around the world. Saying this, we also need access to communication tools such as SKYPE so that we can have access to classrooms across the nation. We have seen this in other schools and believe that our students are missing out on great opportunities that technology has made available to us. As stated before, we have Renaissance Place through PTO funding; however, the district should pick this up for all students in Yukon. In our lower grades, we have looked into a handheld device called Teachermate. This is a device that is correlated with the specific textbook that your class is using. We are currently in the process of a test trial with these devices to see if they would be suitable for our younger students to use. This is just one other piece of technology that our students could use. Here at Skyview, we want to have a video display in the cafeteria for teacher/staff usage. We do currently have this setup in the gym for morning meetings, but classes are held in their throughout the day and there is no other option for big group meetings. This would provide a place for more staff development, class usage, ect.

At Skyview, we are currently using Ed Tech funds in the classrooms mainly through computer applications. We would like to see more use through Apple products and software, as well as the integration of student projects with the use of video cameras. Teachers and staff are starting to use NINGs to integrate technology into the classroom, and students are using it at home as a basic tool, but it is our goal to use it more productively with student based learning and communication.
 * Talk about pedagogy, practice and process as well as specific applications and hardware: **

Increasing accessibility would require more lenient accessibility from the district. We have to have access to Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi compatible technology. Students can learn and teach so much to each other with the use of such devices. It is a goal for us to teach students appropriate uses and to hold them accountable for their use of the newest technology available.

There is so much information at our fingertips from across the nation. With the use of NINGs and Wiki spaces, teachers have more communication tools than ever out there to share their information with others. Now we just need to encourage everyone to share and learn this new and exciting information out there for our use. Students want to use new technology, and would rather use it than paper/pencil applications.

Professional development is key to expanding our technology literate world. Teachers need to attend workshops throughout the year and share it with their staff so that we can all remain at the top of our games in this ever changing technology world. What is made available today will be old news tomorrow.

All technology can be related back to curriculum in one way or another. That is what is so great about technology. We can take a lesson and link it to technology just by having any of these devices in our hands. Students are thriving in this information literate world, they crave more knowledge and can find it through technology. Our students can actually teach us.