Written by Bill Moran, Director of Technology
In summer 2010, the Valparaiso Community Schools' information technology staff began implementation of a three-year technology plan funded through the district's capital projects fund.
This plan was necessary to bring computer technology in the district to current standards. Every year of the plan, several grades at the elementary school level or content-area departments at the secondary level receive an interactive board, document camera and laptop.
The staging of the plan was as follows:
Year One 2010 — Classrooms in grades kindergarten, first, second at the elementary, science and math departments at the secondary level received laptops to replace their desktop computers. Classrooms in fourth and fifth grades at the elementary level, and language arts and social studies departments at the secondary level received interactive boards and document cameras.
Year Two 2011 — Classrooms in grades three and four, and media centers at the elementary level and language arts and social studies departments at the secondary level received laptops to replace their desktop computers. Classrooms in grades two and three at the elementary level, and world language and allied arts departments at the secondary level received interactive boards and document cameras.
Year three 2012 — Classrooms in grades five, specials at the elementary level, and world language and allied arts departments at the secondary level will receive laptops to replace their desktop computers. Classrooms in kindergarten and first grade at the elementary level, and science and math departments at the secondary level will receive interactive boards and document cameras.
In conjunction with the three-year technology plan, the IT department placed 1,234 netbooks throughout all 11 school buildings. In summer 2011, computer labs at Cooks Corners, Hayes Leonard, Parkview and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools were dismantled and replaced with laptops in order to make room for full-day kindergarten classes.
Along every step of the three-year plan, two technology implementation specialists provided teachers and staff with support and development. These two highly skilled specialists guided our teachers in not only the use of the technology but also how to use technology as a tool within the curriculum.
The VCS IT department takes on many challenges. Our effective staff of two computer/network technicians, one network manager, one student data specialist, one systems administrator and two technology specialists supports our wired/wireless network infrastructure, telephone systems, data center, 1,234 student netbooks, 360 teacher laptops, 69 computers used by administrators/support staff and 1,059 student lab computers.