Laptop 101
Highland Park ISD
is committed to being an organization that encourages all students
and community members to be life-long learners. Essential to this vision
is the development of the use of state-of-the-art technology that
empowers teachers, students, and other adults to create learning
experiences from the vast storehouse of information available both
within and beyond the school building. In educating its
students for the future, the district believes that schools must
take part in equipping students, teachers, and the community to use
all technology efficiently. This year, the district is committed to
its vision of being an EXEMPLARY district, and we believe that our
technology plays a major part in this endeavor.
Subject Integration Quick
Time Videos
Social Studies
Integration English Integration
Video
A
Parent's View
Student to Student Quick Time
Videos
Student Video I
Student Video II
Laptop
availability makes it easier for teachers to communicate with
parents and the community. Teachers are able to e-mail
parents with discipline problems as well as academic awareness.
They are also able to publish lessons on their web
sites.
Every
Child Counts
Funds
generated by the bond election allowed HPISD to equip our students
with Apple computers in grades 6-12. During the 2005-2006
school year, a fantastic program was made possible through a
partnership between the HPISD community and Apple Computers
providing a laptop initiative for all secondary students. All HPISD
teachers and students received laptops, a wireless network was
added throughout the district and Administration building, and
staff development began to implement the program into our district.
In September, the rollout began. The community
including parents, news stations, other districts, and the Mayor of
Amarillo attended the Rollout Ceremony for the
laptops.
Rationale for the Laptop
Program
Among other things,
laptops offer the teachers a way to individualize instruction,
measure progress with great precision, simulate processes, and
break down geographical barriers. It is a way to improve student
enthusiasm toward learning and provide equal access to all of our
learners. We envision a school in which all available technologies
are utilized seamlessly into the classroom creating a greater
community of learning among students and faculty.
Online
Subscriptions
Online subscriptions
include Renaissance Place, netTrekker, BrainAbility, FAKS online,
Kidbiz and Teen Biz from Achieve 3000, Curriculum
Developer, United Streaming and Notetaker.
Professional
Development
Part
One: Getting Started
Teacher laptop
Distribution & skills, Student roll out, Being productive from
the start, Appropriate use, Digital Literacy, Curriculum and
Assessment solutions, The productivity & digital media tools,
Plan classroom activities, Classroom management.
Part Two:
Digital Literacy
Teachers learn more about
how to use the curriculum and assessment solutions, working with
teachers as they implement activities in their classrooms, working
with teachers to use data to plan teaching and learning
activities.
Part Three:
Maximizing Student Achievement
Teachers begin to rethink
ways they ask students to engage in content, Teachers design &
implement standards-based, technology supported lessons &
units, Working with teachers to design learning environments that
use the technology solutions to promote higher-order thinking &
critical problem solving in addressing core content areas,
Continued in-classroom support and co-teaching.
Instructional
Design
The key to good classroom
management in a one to one school is acknowledging their is no one
way to ensure that laptops are being used correctly. Highland
Park ISD has provided teachers with a software that remotely
connects to each students laptop allowing teacher access and
viewing of the desktop. Traditional disciplines of room
design and monitoring student to student are also used.
Effective instruction is a key that is also
important.
