Technology Resources - What's New?

Our website has been refurbished over the summer
We now have a content management system in place to assist with updates
We have 32 new netbooks coming this year for the classrooms to share
Another classroom projector will be installed in the upper building. This makes it official-. All classrooms in the upper building will have mounted projectors!
Another Interactive Epson projector for the other 2nd grade classroom
In October will be receiving another interactive projector along with training from the IU.
3 New Flip Video cameras for use creating movie projects
2 New laptops
Our Discovery Streaming subscription has been renewed for this year
A Green Room for green screen movie recording! Just wait to see where we will be traveling this year! Just like the professional movie producers use
Our Glogster Account will be renewed for this school year
The 8th grade will start to store and share in "the cloud" this year using Google Apps

Technology Equipment and Programs

Our 25 station Windows 7 computer lab is loaded with software. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Acces, KidPix, Pixie, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Premier Elements, Fireworks, Crazy Talk, and JumpStart Typing. We have been integrating many free programs such as Stykz Animation Software, GIMP, Windows MovieMaker, Photostory, Audacity, and Tux Paint. We use internet programs such as Pbworks Wikis, Glogster, Animoto, Google Apps, Google sketchup, Voki, Tagxedo, Wifiti, Edmodo, DanceMat Typing, and Wordle. Each year we integrate more web 2.0 tools into the curriculum and projects.

Internet Safety is a top priority. We spend time each year to examine internet safety issues and the students have fun doing it. Netsmartz.org is a big part of our program. Last year the younger grades created skits and raps on the safety topics. The older students participated in a chat with just their class on the different topics.

Respecting intellectual property, copyright, and responsibility are another big topic in both the classrooms and the technology lab. Proper citing of sources, creative commons licensed work, and searching for pictures and music that are free to use are some of the ways this topic is addressed. We stress the importance of treating other people with respect online as well as offline. As a faith based learning school we can teach them these topics using morality topics and ask the question - What would Jesus do?

Our classroom projects are becoming more and more technology driven. The classroom projectors, smartboards, the 31 classroom laptops that we had, and the additional 32 classroom netbooks we are receiving, really do and will, allow the teachers to give the students the opportunity to use technology as a tool for learning, collaborating and sharing. The best part is that the kids like it, take pride in it, and want to learn it. It is their world!