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Technology In The Conneaut Schools
Technology encompasses the tools and strategies for solving problems, using information, increasing productivity and enhancing personal growth. Technology Standards were developed in 1996, and updated several times, with the most recent in 2004. The original standards were done without the benefit of seeing the integration of various technologies into other standards. Over the past years significant advances in technology have occurred. These changes have caused many national organizations to review what students need to know and be able to do in relation to technology. The National Educational Technology Standards, Information Power, Information Technology in Education, the No Child Left Behind, along with current state and national standards. We have also analyzed current research on technology skills important to business and industry. Technology is currently integrated into other content area standards with the vision that as other standards are revised, technology will be seamlessly integrated.
The goal is to help students live, learn and work successfully and responsibly in an increasingly complex, technology-driven society. Technology Standards are designed to provide foundational skills and processes that students need in order to work productively and creatively in their studies, at work and at home. It is essential that technology instruction be an integral part of a students learning experience. The role of Technology is to help students and staff meet the challenge of the future.
The Conneaut Area City Schools provide the following technology in the schools. There
are five computers in every classroom K-8. The middle school has two computer labs, one teaching lab and one teacher resource lab. Gateway Elementary has one teacher/resource lab. The high school has four computer labs: computer lab, Business/resource lab, Science lab, and a Industrial Technology/Consumer Science lab. A wireless mobile lab is available for staff to use in their classrooms. The high school yearbook and newspaper are also all computer based. Some of the computer related courses taught are keyboarding, word processing, database, spreadsheets, publishing, web page design, digital photography, various business related courses, CAD drafting and others. Servers provide students, staff and administration with programs tailored for their use. There is a district grade book. An on-line "Tiger Tracking System" provides for immediate notification by staff for needs or repairs. It is also utilized for the districts inventory control of technology equipment. A high school student group is trained to provide additional support help for staff and students. The high school web classes maintain the high school section of the district web page and a district student provides and maintains the weather page link.The elementary schools, middle school and high school libraries are all automated and connected with local and state libraries. Computers are also provided in the library for research. Each district building classroomis wired to a 32" TV/monitors through which staff can schedule media from the libraries such as VCR tapesand DVD’s. These are also connected to the staff computer and can show what is on the teacher monitor. Thereare also two mobile carts in each building which have wireless video cameras and microphones that can connect in any classroom or gym and project on the network and be viewed in any or all classrooms live. Each district gymnasium has a complete audio/visual sound system with built in DVD/CD player, television feed, and network video feed. Also a ceiling mounted wall projector with a motorized large screen. Each building has video surveillance cameras at all doors and several inside locations. All offices and classrooms have I.P. phones available for staff.
A State of Ohio reading grant will soon provide the districts K – 3 classrooms with laptop computers and smart boards, and has equipped a staff development lab Each classroom K – 3 is already using two special computers and laser printers which run specialized reading software. Palms are use by all the above classrooms for record keeping.
A district MAN, (Metropolitan Area Network), connects our district buildings over fiber-optic cable. We have worked very close with the Conneaut Telephone Company who provides the fiber connections. It is used for district wide and WAN access and is proxy filtered for content. Non-certified employees use it for work time log in, the district heating/cooling system, video surveillance and security also run over it. The district phone system is I.P based and also uses the network. Student discipline and student information, inventory and district e-mail also use it. Secure storage is provided for all administration, staff, and students. This MAN, connect to state WAN, (wide area network), over two T1 lines to our "A" site at NEOMIN in Warren, Ohio. This provides secures connection to the state Department of Education, other agencies and the World Wide Net. All staff and students must sign an Acceptable Use Policy. We provide a district web presence on the internet
www.conneautschools.org
Information is provides in many areas. A few of the areas are school closings, weather, contacts, individual buildings, district calendar, Board of Education, parent links, teacher links, alumni, new schools construction (with photos), city, county, maps, sports schedules, quick links to useful sites like the CHS library,
newspapers, maps, radio stations, search engines, and a Study Spartan Page with special study resources.
Present resources include over 1000 pieces of computer equipment. We have over 700 computers, both PC and Mac, and all related ware. We are running the newest state of the art Cisco network equipment such as switches, firewalls, etc. Back up power supply units and a generator keep our network running during power outages. A data is backed up on servers and tape back up systems. This equipment, network and web page are supported by the Instructional Technology Department staff. Funding is provided by the state of Ohio through Schoolnet, various grants, and district budget