Creating a 21st Century School

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Creating a 21st Century School

• Brad Brandsrud
• Assistant Principal and Laptop Program
  Coordinator
• Watertown School District
• South Dakota

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Watertown High SchoolWatertown, SD

• Located in Eastern SD
• 20,000 People
• 1,300 HS Students
• Block Schedule
• Cutting-Edge Reputation

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Technology Study

• Part One It is broken Fix it!
• Part Two Vision for the 21st Century

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Technology is broken Fix It

• Part One

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WHS Technology 3 years ago

• Reserved computer labs
• Dual hardware platforms
• In-demand mobile wireless carts
• Multiple software versions
• Understaffed technical support personnel

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Proposal to Fix the Problem

• Gateway laptop for every teacher and student
• Extended Warranty Accidental Damage Protection
• School District Protection
• Wireless Network
• Technology Personnel
• Staff Development

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Questions from the Community

• Can we afford the project?
• Will students be responsible?
• Are teachers prepared?
• Is the internet safe?
• Will books be eliminated?

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Project Implementation

• Technology Personnel
• Site visits
• Laptop configuration
• Network
• Policy writing
• Staff development
• Laptop deployment

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Staff Development

• Gateway Microsoft
• Summer school
• On-line opportunities
• Technology In-services
• Integrationist work

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Vision for the 21st Century

• Part Two

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21st Century Technology Goals

• Our mission statement Enabling all students to
  succeed in an ever-changing world
• Narrowing the digital divide for students and
  families
• Improving communication throughout the district
• Improving student achievement through 21st
  century skills

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Ever-changing world

• Information accumulation
• Internet presence
• 11 computer access
• Digital textbooks
• Emerging career fields
• Millennial students

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Narrowing the Digital Divide

• A laptop computer for every student
• Wireless synchronous network technology
• Availability 24 / 7/ 9
• Multi-dimensional tool for work and entertainment
• Portability

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Improving Communication

• School announcements
• Global e-mail
• Dynamic website
• Student and parent portals to student data
• Discourse

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21st Century Skills

• Global awareness
• Knowledge generation
• Project-based curriculum
• Digital research skills
• Multimedia assessments
• Information Communication Technologies

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Learning with Laptops
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Student Use of Laptops
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Student Attitudes about Laptops
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Teacher Use of Laptops
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Student Access to Internet at Home
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Laptops Taken Home
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Laptop Use at School
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Teacher Use of LaptopsTwo-Year Comparison
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Parents Impact of Laptops
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Parents Impact of Laptops