Columbia (WLTX) -- Richland Northeast High School has been trying to keep up with changing technologies by integrating them into the classroom. If you haven't been in a classroom lately, some things have really changed.
Sharon Owns, Instructional Technology Specialist for the school, teaches teachers how to use technology.
"When I first started teaching, that's 24 years ago, the biggest technology that we had was an overhead," she says.
In this class, teachers are gathered at computers while Owens shows them updates to the Blackboard system. Blackboard is an interactive system which allows instructors to share ideas with each other. Students can blog, upload papers and even work together online using the program.
Using Blackboard, like many other tools Owens shows teachers, has nothing to do with chalk.
"They use interactive boards, they use laptops, they use the internet, they use Google Earth," she says.
New tools allow for the instant exchange of information between teachers and students. The Senteo system, for example, gives students each a keypad in the classroom.
"You want to measure their understanding, you can get a feedback. You can also administer a test if it's multiple choice or true/false," Owens explains.
Richland Northeast is also using a system for after the bell rings. "The iPod for podcasting, teachers can carry this around, talk about a lesson. If they were not in class that day, then they have not missed the classroom instruction."
If you recall learning about the slope of a triangle, there's a new spin on that too. "The teacher can take the classroom to a hill. They can calculate slope using a GPS device."
Owens also says new technologies are saving time for teachers and administrators. "We can do video conferencing. And so now instead of leaving school to go to a meeting. We can sit in front of a computer, we can do a ten minute conference without the inconvenience of having to leave and go somewhere."
Throughout the summer, Owens will be keeping teachers up to date on the latest technology that the school adopts. "New teachers come in with expectations. They have seen the new technology in the university level and they come in and they really expect it," she says.
6/12/2008 8:09:02 PM
