Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Title II, Part D - Awards 2007-2008

Brookings School District

Creating A Visual Classroom

Visualization is the key to learning for many of today’s kids. Because today’s kids are visual learners, technology is an absolute requirement for classrooms instruction. Technology therefore, must be used to assist teachers in helping students in the learning process. Helping students learn can be accomplished in the Visual Classroom where absorbing information via sight counts for as much as listening to the teacher.

The vision of the Brookings School District is “To educate students in a lifelong learning environment where the tools of technology support teaching and learning.” It is the districts goal to have all staff use and become experts in the use of technology for instruction that will improve student learning, communication, and student motivation. This will be accomplished through professional development opportunities in the summer 2007 that will be sustained through continued technology coaching during the school year.

The district need is evident as we have one school in school improvement for reading and the district and three schools on alert for math. As we review our data we see that the district population is becoming more diverse and that we must revise our teaching methods to reach all students. Our teacher Technology survey also indicates the need for more training and support in the use of technology in the classroom.

The summer 2007 professional development training will include:

1. Professional Development on technology enhancing instruction

• Productions of handouts, tests, newsletters
• Managing student’s grades
• Understanding software to strengthen student achievement
• Utilizing video/audio tools
• Develop the “Circle of Learning” process
• Assemble and create information
• Curriculum Reviews incorporating technology

2. Professional Development on integrating technology into instruction

• Wireless presentation systems – Tablet PC & Smart Boards
  • Emphasis on OneNote, Smart Notebook, Smart Board Software and Wireless Projection systems
• Graphic calculators
• GPS, GIS & logger systems
• Teaching resources for SBR content specific software
• WebCT for grading, paperless assignments, discussion groups
• Communication
  • Front Page

This professional development and coaching will be available for all staff members. Presenters from Dakota State University and South Dakota State University with continued training from the district Technology Integrationist and the Technology Coach will provide the needed assistance. The Technology Coach will be available one hour a day at each school for training assistance. Wednesday afternoons, during early release School Improvement Time, will be spent reviewing technology tools and software and providing continuous training of the technology and curriculum worked on during the summer.

Formative evaluations will be conducted at the completion of the training, but more important the determination of teacher growth in the use of technology in the classroom will be accomplished through formative assessment evaluated from the teacher professional development plan checklist. These will be completed prior to the year, completed mid year and again at the end of the school year. We will also determine the effectiveness of the training by the summative assessments of student growth on state mandated assessments, as well as Star Math and Star Reading Assessment.