Technology Blog Post

• How many computers are in the classroom?
• The classrooms in my school do not have stationary computers in the classroom. Each teacher has a laptop that the district provides. These are generally the only computers that are in the classroom. These laptops are the teacher's laptops and the students do not have access to it. We have a computer lab, which is right across the hall from my classroom.
• Does the teacher have a computer connected to a projector?
• The teacher has a document camera (My CT uses this majority of the time) and the option to connect their lap top to a projector. My CT rarely connects her laptop to a projector, unless we are showing a video or something from online (an article, a website, etc.) 
• Do the students have their own devices?
• The students have access to ipads. There are 30 ipads for 2 classrooms and they alternate using them. They have access to computers when they go into the computer lab. There are 30 computers available. On the Ipads, they have different math and spelling apps that we will be using. Currently, our ipads are not working. Of course there are a few hiccups in the beginning of the school year and we are excited to get to start using our ipads and the different apps. 
• Are they able to bring in their own devices?
• There is a network for students to bring in their own devices, "byod." This is more so for the older students, as our elementary friends are doing as much with one on one technology. Since we have Ipads for the students to use in the building, as well as a computer lab with enough computers for each student, there is no need for the younger students to bring their own device. We do most of our work on paper and only some of the work needs a device to complete. 
• How many computer labs are in the building?
• There is only one computer lab. It has 30 computers in it and 1 printer. Since there is only one computer lab, each class has an assigned computer lab day and time. Thus far, we have not run into any problems with only having one computer lab. 
• How many movable carts (e.g., a cart containing a classroom set of laptops or tablets) does the building have?
• There are enough movable carts for each classroom to use them with another i.e. two classrooms to a cart. There are 5 grades with 3-4 teachers in each grade, so there are about 15 or so carts with 30 ipads.
• Currently, my teacher does not believe that the district is following their tech plan as it is stated. One such problem is that in it, there is a piece about how the staff will be given the tools to help the students integrate technology into the classroom. My CT wishes that the tech staff would give them more control and allow them to do things on their own. Right now, the tech staff has to do everything for the staff. My CT expresses the concern that she wishes the tech people would teach them how so they wouldn't have to wait on the tech staff to do it. At this point, there are little to no opportunities to assist teachers and staff in becoming more effective with their technology. There is little direction into how to use the technology in the classroom. The tech plan states that the want to allow technology to be widely and readily available to the students, but it's frustrating when they have the ipads but they aren't working properly. This plan was written for the 2012-2015 school year. Thus far, my CT is not happy with the tech plan and the support they have been given. I am hoping that as the year progresses and we get settled back into a routine, the technology available at my school becomes more easily accessed and I get to see the students interact with it!