Technology at Onekama School


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

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www.onekama.k12.mi.us