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Schools

Classroom Technology Driving Force for Fenton's $9.6 Million Bond Proposal

Technology leading to changes in classroom instruction.

Many people shop online. They handle banking transactions and communicate with friends and business associates through email. In the span of a few short years, technology has transformed the daily lives of Americans.

These days it is also revolutionizing the classroom and is one of the driving forces behind $9.6 million bond proposal, which will be on the May 8th ballot.

The bond proposal calls for $6.4 million on technology including wireless access at the school, replacing older computers with current operating systems and software and upgrading the district data network in order to increase performance and capacity.

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Instruction on camera

Students in Sarah Foster’s eighth-grade math class at recently spent their class time quietly watching an instruction video Foster prepared using the document camera.

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Students took notes at their own pace and were able to go back to the areas of the video they needed to hear again, unlike a live lecture.

This exploration of the video instruction concept was an important exercise for Foster, who was testing out the idea in anticipation of eventually adopting a “flipping” teaching model.

Flipping involves swapping the way students learn in the classroom and complete work at home. Instead of reviewing lessons or listening to lectures in class, students would watch instructional videos at home prepared by Foster. Then, they would complete their “homework” during class time when Foster is available to answer questions and offer assistance.

Foster was inspired to try "flipping" after learning more about it at the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning conference. Educators from across the state shared their experiences in making videos and applying math concepts to real world applications.

“We want math students to be problem solvers,” said Foster.

She was impressed at the conference by one a teacher who created a video at a local store, showing a package of 10 hot dogs and a package of eight hot dog buns and asked students to figure out how many packages of each it would take before the number of hot dogs and hot dog buns were equal.

“He was making a video right there in Meijer,” she said.

The cost of technology

The cost to update computer systems and purchase new technologies often presents a challenge to educators, however, particularly in this era of shrinking budgets and increasing responsibilities. New technology at Fenton Schools will be piloted prior to launch to ensure it meets the district’s academic goals and offers excellent instructional value.

Since technology constantly evolves, district leaders decided to structure the bond proposal in two series: Phase One Technology from 2012-16 and Phase Two Technology from 2017-21. By using the two series structure to stagger the selling of the bonds, funding would be available now as well as five years from now to help keep technology current. Both bond stages would be funded under the single ballot proposal.

District leaders also would like to explore new and emerging technologies such as mobile computing devices like tablets, iPads and Kindles; E-Books to use as electronic textbooks; video and podcasting resources; and digital classroom displays.

“Our students need the tools to be successful in the 21st century environment,” said Fenton Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jalkanen.

Making it work

Foster wants to work all the glitches out of the video lessons before committing to the flipping concept. One of the challenges she has encountered is that the older computer equipment and software she is using in her classroom isn’t always compatible with the updated technology students are utilizing at home.

Another is making sure all students have access to a computer and an Internet connection at home. One of the options she has considered is copying the video onto a flash drive so those with a computer but no Internet can view the lesson. Ideally, she would like iPads or iPod touches available for students who need them.

Foster’s classroom technology includes the document camera, a teacher computer and a projector that is linked with both. While wireless access is available in some parts of the building, it does not reach her classroom. That means even if students brought their own iPads and laptops with them to use in class for instruction, they couldn’t link to the Internet.

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