West New York School District: Giving Importance to Educational Technology
By: David H.
Submitted: 2009-09-16 19:36:00 | Word Count: 562
School districts in United States handle public education of all government funded schools. Among the many school districts in America that gives importance on educational technology is the West New York School District. They believe that it is a cumulative process that helps students achieve their fullest potentials in the IT world.
They believe that educational technology will attract many resources, opportunities and good communications in the local and global communities. They are committed in preparing the students to work in the ever changing technological pace and growth with regard to all aspects of life. They see to it that all the students, teachers and staff are competent enough to use IT tools, to communicate well and solve delicate problems easily.
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West New York District’s Technology Plan
The district’s technology 2007 2010 plan is an approved document wherein the members of the West New York School System are committed to meet the needs of the urban student population. It aspires to enhance each child’s love of learning, to potentially develop a feeling of self confidence and to help recognize the positive nature of their cultural diversity.
The success of the plan relies on the system implementation and equipments to be used. The district’s technology infrastructure includes 13 sites that act as the Network Operations Center. The 25MB internet connections and 10/100 Ethernet Cisco switches are connected in rooms to accomplished data and voice management. The district also acquires an AS/400 mid range computer in used by the central office business department to handle the district’s human resources and financial management.
A software program called SERTS works in requisitions, orders and inventory that supports an on line survey system and its website. The site includes updated educational information and uses also uses ConnectEd to send personalized messages to the parents, staff, faculty, and students. The district facilitates telecommunications and wireless network to over 2,200 computers and laptops for the students and faculties. All the employees have e mail accounts that connect through a Microsoft Outlook Web Access web mail.
Resources and Implementation
Students from kindergarten to the sixth grade are equipped with computers. A formalized computer instruction is administered for the first graders. They are scheduled to use the available resources in their media centers or computer laboratories. The class can entirely use laptop computers to integrate technology in classroom discussions. All the fourth year students are evaluated for computer literacy.
Middle school students such as seventh and eighth grades have state of the art classrooms with computers, large screen TVs, streaming videos, VCR and DVD. The student’s media centers are equipped with wireless laptop computers, multi media projectors and digital cameras in their large computer laboratories.
However, the high school students have eight computer labs, a portable wireless laptop station and an Interactive Television classroom with an extensive range of elective computer courses. The students are given opportunities to enroll in the Intermediate Computer Applications to receive Microsoft Certification.
West New York School District had plans for 2010 to expand technology services and inventory. This will also maximize student academic achievement by maintaining and upgrading the district’s wide technology in the next level. Technology maintenance is also one of the main focuses in preparedness to the growing technology of computers. All these goals are foster with the full support of the staff, students, parents and the community for a better tomorrow.
