Laptop Education
While the basic
structure of our curriculum remains
consistent, Bergen Catholic began
implementing its laptop program in
the 2002-2003 academic year. Today,
the entire student body utilizes an
802.11 b/g wi-fi network
campus-wide. This gives the student
the ability to access a world of
information. He is no longer
constrained by his textbook, teacher
experience and the walls around him.
The depth and breadth of information
available is nearly unlimited
creating opportunity to develop
critical thinking skills
(evaluation, analysis, synthesis) as
he brings the world into his
classroom.
Foundations
BC developed a 5-year
strategic plan as a part of its
Middle States Accreditation for
Growth Process in 1997. In that time
a commitment to incorporate
technology throughout the curriculum
was established. Classes would
schedule time in any of three
computer labs so that in every
academic discipline a project would
be completed once per semester.
The next step in the process was
involving the faculty in maintaining
academic records electronically.
Grades were submitted via floppy
disk at first and then through
e-mail. In-service programs focusing
on maintaining a grade book on the
computer, developing a personal
web-page and creating lesson plans
that utilize the Internet have taken
place throughout these years.
A team of faculty and administrators
then researched laptop programs in a
variety of schools. In September
2002, the faculty and administration
received its set of laptops and the
wireless lab was created.
Today
The
entire student body utilizes laptops
in their classes daily. While the
laptop has been primarily used as a
presentation tool, it is helping
students to develop organizational
skills and habits that will serve
them in years to come. One student
commented..."I used to forget my
notebook so I'd borrow piece of
paper from a friend and usually lose
it after class. The ability to take
notes on my laptop helps me to keep
everything in one place."
Each
laptop classroom is equipped with a
multimedia cart which house a
digital video projector and
high fidelity sound system so
that students can effectively share
their ideas with classmates. In
addition, Interactive white boards
and interactive wireless school pads
enable classes to communicate using
some of the latest technologies for
education.
Edline provides the
opportunity for teachers, parents
and students to have access to
student progress on a daily basis.
Each student and parent may view a
home-page that enables them to
access grades, homework, notes,
up-coming calendar items and the
ability to communicate with
teachers.
Increasing numbers of textbooks on
CD-Rom and web-sites designed to
complement those texts create
greater availability of information
and interactive programs to improve
their mastery of subject matter.
Students in Advanced Media Projects
work with IMovie and
Final Cut Pro software on
Apple computers
developing professional quality
podcasts and DVDs designed to
support the mission of the school.
All seniors are learning
Macromedia Dreamweaver in
their Multimedia classes and create
commercials using Microsoft
MovieMaker.
Teachers in English, Science and
Social Studies are using a program
called Discourse which
enables them to elicit responses
from every student in every class.
Teachers pose questions verbally or
through this program and students
respond to the teacher through their
laptops. Rather than asking
questions that only one who raises
his hand can answer, every student
participates in the lesson and
teachers can learn more about each
student's understanding of the
subject matter. This tool helps
teachers connect with every student
in class, not just the brightest or
the neediest.
A
cohort of teachers is also working
with IDE Corp from
Mahwah, NJ, in developing strategies
for implementing technology into
problem-based-learning experiences
for students. The problems our
teachers have posed range from
creating how-to manuals in Spanish
to developing mouse-trap catapults
to acting as a pathologist to
identify a mystery virus.
Future
Technology is nothing more than a
tool to help us provide an
outstanding education for our
students. Its implementation should
run in the background while the
primary focus is on learning in the
content areas. Our hope is that our
students and faculty will not even
notice its impact on their
education, but they do. As one
student commented, "I never
really knew how valuable my laptop
was, until I didn't have it when it
was being repaired last week."
Leaving the industrial era and
moving into the information age is
the direction BC is moving with its
style of education. We are
developing learning strategies for
the 21st century, building
experience with on-line courses,
streaming video, threaded
discussions, authentic assessment,
and web-quests so that we continue
to serve our students in the world
in which they live, not in the one
in which we used to live.
