The BIG Picture
Onekama believes that a quality student education is
absolutely the number one priority of our school
system. We have found that providing access to certain
technologies enhance a student’s educational experiences
and have seen where some technology can get in the way
of effective learning. For this reason our staff
carefully selects hardware, software and delivery
methods that are proven to help both students learn
better and teachers to be more effective.
The Breakdown by School Groups
Our K-2nd
grade students are regularly scheduled to complete
assignments via computers. The elementary school has a
dedicated computer lab where teachers schedule students
to use a variety of software that focuses on specific
state standards appropriate for their grade level.
Learning how to keyboard is an essential skill that
begins in early elementary. The 3rd
through 5th
grade classes also have access to the elementary
computer lab and are expected to complete more
challenging assignments as well as work with targeted
subject matter software. The 4th
and 5th
grade classes also enjoy their own class room sets of
net books. They are expected to do their reports,
projects and presentations using the available
technology. Teachers in our elementary school have had
a great deal of success in integrating technology into
the curriculum where it makes most sense.
When students reach middle school and high school, they
find a rich environment of new and exciting technologies
along with classroom sets of net books and several
dedicated computer labs. For the past two years groups
of students from our school have been invited to state
educational technology conferences to show other schools
and instructors how they use technology in their
learning process. All teachers in secondary school have
specific tools like smart boards and document cameras
that make resources from their classrooms as well as the
internet up-close and personal. Teacher’s report that
their effectiveness in the classroom, classroom
management as well as the variety and quality of
resources they can bring to students have improved since
the installation of these smart classrooms. Training to
help teachers use this equipment successfully is
ongoing.
Art, music and special education classrooms are all
equipped with their own specialized technologies and
specific software for their respective audiences
including a new computerized keyboarding program for the
music students.
Two Pilot Programs
After careful research and visiting other successful
programs, Onekama elementary and secondary students will
be implementing the use of iPads this next year. We
look forward and are very excited to see the effects of
using literally hundreds of newly developed educational
APPS that come with this technology. iPads are a much
more economical solution to providing 21st
century education to our student body. We will be
measuring student outcomes and evaluating the
effectiveness of these new devices.
The
Summary
Our students have flourished in their education here at
Onekama. Well thought-out technology tools and
techniques along with excellence in teaching have proven
to be successful. We are a group of learners that do not
just have technology for technology sake but use tools
and techniques to enrich teaching and enhance learning.
Questions relative to technology used at Onekama School
are welcome and should be addressed to Bruce Peabody,
Technology Coordinator (bpeabody@manistee.org).
Onekama's Technology Plan 2012 update |