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GoogleTechnology coordinator Joan Gray reported on the state of technology in local schools during Thursday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Education.
The school system has a policy of replacing PCs on a five-year rotation -- it didn't quite replace all of the eligible computers last year but hopes to catch up this year, said Gray.
In addition to the PCs, the school system has 352 video projectors; by next month, there will be a projector in virtually every elementary school classroom. The school system hopes to make increasing use of "ActivBoards" from a vendor named Promethean. These are interactive touch-screen computer displays which are used as whiteboards and to display content.
Distance learning carts are being purchased which include a big-screen TV, a high-definition camera and a microphone. These make possible live video links with teachers or classrooms in remote locations.
"Our technology is outstanding," said Gray.
School board member Amy Martin asked whether the school system has considered a pilot project for a "textless classroom" where students would use laptop computers instead of textbooks. Gray said there are several impediments to such a system right now. Textbook publishers offer no discount for electronic editions of their product; an e-book costs the same as a printed volume. Also, many students have only dial-up Internet access at home. Gray said that a textless classroom may make sense in the future if either or both of those conditions change. In the meantime, she said, the school system is emphasizing "laptop carts" which can be checked out by a classroom for a particular unit of study and which have enough laptops for each student.
The vast majority of the school system's computers use the Microsoft Windows operating system, but the school system would like to increase its supply of Apple Macintosh computers, which have stronger capabilities in some areas such as graphic design.
Cascade High School has had an unusually high number of work orders for repairs to its computer system; Gray said problems in the school's electrical wiring are to blame and need to be resolved.
Gray reported that 460 teachers attended the school system's annual technology conference.
Average Yearly Progress
School Superintendent Ed Gray distributed copies of the Average Yearly Progress (AYP) reports for each school, but a detailed discussion will wait until next month's board meeting. The school system as a whole met its AYP goals. Cascade High School failed to meet its mandated graduation rate. Community Middle School failed to meet AYP goals. Thomas Intermediate School also failed to meet AYP goals last year, but the new Thomas Magnet Elementary School at that location serves a different student population, is considered a different school, and is therefore not affected by last year's results.
The Times-Gazette is preparing a more detailed report on the AYP results for a future issue.
Building program
Architect John Davis reported that he expects $113,000 in budgeted construction funds to be unspent after the completion of the new Community High School. Most of the remaining "punch list" items at the high school, and at the new Learning Way Elementary School, were taken care of during the Celebration break, with a few remaining items still to be fixed under the warranty period.
Chairman re-elected
The board re-elected Barry Cooper as chairman and Ron Adcock as vice-chair. Both elections were by acclamation.
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Why do children need expensive electronics to learn how to read and do math? Why does a classroom need a television? This money would be better spent on higher teacher salaries, more teachers, more classrooms and more books.
Technology coordinator Joan Gray...
School Superintendent Ed Gray...
Are these two related? If so, in what manner? Because if it's a close relation, why is she working for him? I'm assuming that the "Technology Coordinator" for the county schools would report to the Superintendent.
Also, why does the Bedford County School system need an average of 180 PC's per property? (2880 divided by 16...13 schools, 1 vocational annex, and the Bedford County Learning Academy, and the Central Office)
The numbers that are listed here: 2,880 personal computers (with more added over the summer) divided by the combined number of students listed on the Bedford County Schools website: 7650 and the number of staff: 950
The way my "old math" figures it, there is one computer for every three people in the school system. What's the justification for that ratio?
Has anyone looked to see if there is a less-expensive way to maintain these items. I have no idea what the infrastructure setup is but, depending on Joan Gray's experience, I would recommend setting up central servers with terminals at each desktop that needs a PC. These terminals can be used as Virtual Machines. Better yet, keep the old machines, and purchase some more used machines to use as additional terminals. Get with a larger company in the area to request donations for things like keyboards, mice, speakers...Hmmm...If we only had a large technology company within reasonable driving distance from here...that might be willing to donate some of their machines. We could even hit up some companies that sell refurbished machines and machines that they're losing to a recent upgrade. I would imagine there are so many ways for a local public school system to save money with regards to education technology these days. If you need some help looking into some of these things, please let me know (tnbwill@yahoo.com). I am more than willing, and able, to help with brainstorming some of the setups that could help alleviate some of the costs involved with IT.
I certainly agree with Mr. Allison that it does seem like this organization is throwing too much money into technology alone. Also, Technology alone will not teach these kids. The laptops and netbooks are nice to have but if you're at all concerned about your budget. Not to mention being concerned for the security of your network or these items then you're not going to want to use these without proper precautionary measures in place prior to rolling them out. I would guess (ok, more of a guess since I work in the IT field with procurement) that there are plenty of places around here that have upgraded their old machines and don't know what to do with them. Setup a donation truck, once a weekend and have someone wipe the hard drives as soon as they come in to protect the donor's personal files. I'll even help you setup the truck to do this (you'll have to supply the truck).
Thom,
They are husband and wife.
I agree that we need to raise teacher salaries instead of ordering more equipment! And for pete's sakes, can't we get some better system for traffic at Community Elementary? Let's pay a salary for some traffic assistance!
Sounds like Cascade is running amuck...hmm, they can't get their computers repaired Nor graduate a reasonable amount of students...A school's failure is a direct reflection of leadership. Instead of replacing all the Concerned teachers with men she can control...maybe she should've put Students first!!!
The teachers are so afraid of Her, they're sacraficing a students education. They need a promise She can't run them all off, with their raise!!!
FYI....Cascade High also needs BOOKS!!! How are teachers teaching when there are no books..not even a teachers manual?? Kudos to the teachers going home and printing things off for their classes, but shouldn't there be an amnesty program where they can request materials without glares and refusals??
Wake up ppl...they do not care, they make the rules up as they go and parents who are Concerned are scorned and unwelcomed!!
These children are our future. If they can't read and write or graduate, this country is in some real serious trouble.
Does anyone have info on what the graduation rates are for the county, broken out by school? I've gone thru the state website and see lots of info on NCLB and high risk/improving schools, but have yet to find anything on graduation rates. I would like to see a break down over the last few years.
neighborhood mom, google Average Yearly Progress for Tn...on the TN dept of Educ. website will link you to a graph, at the top click "school" then Bedford Co. then your school. Graduation rates are kept with NCLB categories. It only goes back to 2007. http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/ap... This will link you up to it...
When the public DEMANDS every dimes worth of an education we will see progress, as long as it's left up to the "professionals" you'll be smiled at and left with blank stares.
"Things are NOT running amuck at Cascade." The computers were affected when lightning hit the building. The work orders have nothing to do with the princial or teachers. Teachers are not allowed to "repair" computers; work orders are the protocol.
I don't know any teacher afraid of Mrs. Edwards. However, I could see how someone not doing his/her job might be fearful or worried. Her expectations are high as they should be. Mrs. Edwards is well respected and a hard worker. Her first concern is the best interest of the students. Her door is always open to parent, teacher, or student concerns.
Books as well as technology are just a few tools teachers use to instruct students. It would be a mistake to rely only on one tool.
Easy im just sayin, I didn't realize when lightning hit the building it left them in a pile of rubble, disconnected, and melted all mouses!! Ha Ha. That's what was laying around out there, maybe all of these were put together over the summer.
I'd say one of the best tools used in education would be instruction, practice, study, and tests. If there is failure, re instruct, review, study and re tests!!
We've lost several awesome teachers lately, I'd hate to think they weren't doing their jobs while they were there for 20 yrs or more..seems failure would have been a little more obvious before now.
No need to just say it to me, I'm the product of a most approbriate public education, I only want one for my own children. :)
"I'm the product of a most approbriate public education, I only want one for my own children."
i generally scorn responses pointing out mis-spellings, grammatical errors, etc. however, in this context...
Lazarus . . . should I then point out your capitalization errors?
*Appropriate..lol...see, review and revise!I do appreciate someone who would even recognize this! Thks lazarus, we've worked out an example to follow!! And I'm a big fan of yours, pls don't scorn me, I'm one of the few and proud. :)
Just so everyone will know, lightning has hit Cascade on a few different ocassions. These computers have to be looked at to determine the extent of the damage. Then it has to be decided whether or not it is cost effective to fix or turn it in to the insursnce. At any rate the system has to then wait on parts to come in or for the insurance to do their job. Lightning can and does cause a great amount of damage.Such as hard drives, power supplies, network cards,memory,or motherboards.If lightning can do all of that then yes, I guess they can be considered a melted down piece of junk.
As for the statements from Thom:
I don't think that any teacher is this system is willing to go back to the days of used donated pieces of junk. It did not work then and it won't work now.Our system, as far as tech goes is one of the best in the state. Are there problems? Sure there are,but you don't take a step backwards in time, you forge ahead and try to fix the problems you do have. When those problems are fixed new ones will arise,as long as there is technology there will always be issues. However, I am sure that if anybody out there can show that your children will never use technology in the future, schools may consider removing it.
Fishingsaintsfan - If "lightning has hit Cascade on a few different occasions" then why doesn't the IT Department require the use of surge suppressors or even uninterruptible power supplies? These items would keep the machines that the taxpayers have paid for from becoming "melted down pieces of junk". Oh, as far as the teachers in this system not being "willing to go back to the days of used donated pieces of junk", maybe they should go back to the days of teaching. If the tech department isn't able to make "donated pieces of junk" work so that kids are able to use them to learn effectively, then maybe someone should look at the leadership of this department.
Are they teaching graphics design or video editing? Maybe they need the high-powered machines for computer aided design software or for games development. Because, aside from these uses, I can't think of any reason that they would need the latest and greatest in PCs just to learn. I don't think anyone is saying that they shouldn't have technology in the school system but, considering that this county isn't just swimming in cash, I don't think that our school system should spend so much on tech if they're not also able to spend on quality teachers.
The schools have surge protectors on every machine in the buildings.That is the only thing that keeps them from being completly fried.
Thom:
you have no Idea what you are taking about,maybe you you need to try teaching sometime. Bedford county has some very good quality teachers and they work their butts off trying to do their job. Then someone like you comes along and starts running his mouth about their abilities to teach and trying to make their job harder than it should be. You were not so cynicle about computers in your recent post when you thought you might be able to make a buck off of the school system! You are a hypacrite plain and simple.What you need to do is get to know these teachers before you start being so critical of them. As far as the latest and greatest stuff, the system does not buy TOP O THE LINE STUFF, that being said they do buy what is needed. I don't care what industry a child in school today goes into, he will be using technology.Now as far as the leadership of the tech dept. you are going to find any better that what is already there.It is so easy for someone to sitback and say he can do a better job. Why don't you just stick to the technology that you do use everyday,your remote, and change the channel,at least until you get a clue.
(You are not going to find better leadership than what is already in the Bedford cty. tech dept.)
This refers to my typo. I would not want anyone to take my words out of context.
.
"You were not so cynicle about computers in your recent post when you thought you might be able to make a buck off of the school system!"
I would LOVE for you to point out ANYWHERE that I said I wanted to make money off of the school system.
I'm perfectly happy working where I do now and have no interest whatsoever in changing that. I DO know what I'm talking about when it comes to the technology aspect of it since that's my career field.
I will admit that I was out of line with my "maybe they should go back to the days of teaching" comment. That was unfair since I do not know the teachers in this system.
I will also say that our school system should ensure that they have what is needed to perform their jobs...preparing the kids for a future in college and the work force. If they need computers to do this, then they should be willing to use machines that are a couple of years old. I wasn't talking about having people donate their machines from the nineties, but there are plenty of companies that donate their machines as they come out of warranty (generally three years). There is nothing wrong with using these machines in the educational system as long as the IT department can fix them. It's cheaper to maintain these than it is to buy new ones.