We Believe Technology...
- gives students opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere
- improves student achievement
- prepares students for their futures
- allows students to learn and demonstrate what they learn in different ways
- provides for enrichment and creativity
- opens classrooms to the world
- levels the playing field for students from all backgrounds
- should be in the hands of every 7-12 student
- should be readily available to all preK-6 students
Believe to Achieve: Fort Osage Boosts Technology Access for Students
For the 2015-16 school year, the Fort Osage School District is further expanding its access to technology for students. All students at grades 7, 8 and 9 have Chromebook computers assigned to them for their 24/7 use, and there are nearly 3500 Chromebooks in use across the district. These changes are being made because of the increasing importance of computers as a tool to improve student learning across all grades and subject areas.
Seventh through twelfth grade students have Chromebooks that they are able to use at home and at school in what’s known as a 1 to 1 initiative. Chromebooks are simple laptop computers that use the Google Chrome internet browser as an operating system instead of Windows or Mac. On the Chromebooks students will be able to access all the information of the Web, as well as create papers, presentations and other school work using Google Applications like Google Docs. In addition to the 1 to 1 program for secondary students, the district is increasing the number of portable computers available at the elementary and upper elementary schools. Kindergarten and first grade students have iPad carts available for their use, and starting at second grade students use Chromebooks regularly in class. These carts are brought into classrooms so that students can use them to research, practice skills, and develop papers and projects. Students will also learn to type beginning in second grade and throughout elementary school. The technology is the latest component of a district-wide initiative known as Believe to Achieve. Families will receive more information in the fall about this effort, which is focused on our belief that all students can achieve at high levels when they have the right support. The district’s standards-based grading system and focus on student goal-setting are also important parts of this initiative. Teachers are receiving training in how to use technology to continue to increase student success, and we are excited to work with families on this effort as well. The district is very excited about the impact that additional technology can have on student learning, but that improvement will be a result of how the technology is used by students and teachers, not by just having computers in students’ hands. Ultimately, technology can provide students with nearly limitless ways to learn and to show what they’ve learned, all of which will help prepare them for a future world that is constantly changing. |
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