Vernon schools make strides in technology
VERNON — In 1870, public schools had access to the “magic lantern,” the precursor to a slide projector.
The magic lantern projected images printed on glass plates and showed them in darkened rooms to students. In 1890, the chalkboard made its appearance into classrooms. Soon thereafter in 1900, the pencil became the educational technology of the day.
More than a century later, public schools have embraced the incorporation of technology to revolutionize teaching and learning. In addition to the outfitting of almost every Vernon Township School District classroom with an interactive SMART Board and document camera, the district continues to add technology to enhance its curricular and instructional programs.
Over the course of the summer, the district experienced a multitude of technological upgrades. More than 25 computer labs district-wide were upgraded with Dell All-In-One computers, mostly to assist with the first administration of the next generation assessment, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. Replacing the former assessment vehicles the NJASK and NJHSPA, the PARCC will be administered to students in third- through 11th-grade during two testing windows for the first time during the 2014-15 school year. Students will take the assessments online.
“Students and teachers will have more access and more opportunity to learn with technology than Vernon Township School District has ever had before,” said Matt Shea, the district’s chief technology officer.
In addition to the upgrade of the 25 computer labs, the district acquired more than one hundred iPads for special education, literacy, art, and pre-school this summer.
The district’s most significant technology initiative, however, is taking place at its fifth- and sixth-grade middle school, Lounsberry Hollow. To facilitate a one-to-one pilot, the building has been equipped with 600 Hewlett-Packard Chromebook 11-inch laptops. Students have access to their own device all day long for instructional purposes. A typical day at Lounsberry includes nearly 700 mobile devices wirelessly on-line.
The middle school’s principal, Chuck McKay sees the big picture.
“With the launch of the Chromebook initiative this past Tuesday, Vernon Township, and in particular, Lounsberry Hollow has entered a new sphere of educational advancement.” McKay said, “Our students have been trained on the Chromebooks, our curriculum now includes two online textbooks and our staff has worked exhaustively to assure that this school will be a harbinger of great advancements to come. The sight of our children in the hallway with their white Chromebooks moving from class to class is indeed breathtaking in its ramifications for the future of education in Vernon.”
Beside the physical acquisition and upgrade of the district’s devices, a host of professional development opportunities have been provided for faculty members to assist in the seamless integration of new tools into teachers’ classrooms. The district offered more than 60 technology-related workshops over the summer attended by more than 400 participants, including eight online workshops.
As digital natives in an information age our students are carrying around in a 1-pound case more information than what was collected in total in their grandparent’s public libraries. And like the magic lantern, once they open the lid, they will be amazed at the world in front of them.