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Health & Fitness

School's Out: A Look Back Over the Past Six Years

The past six years have gone quickly, and though the changes are powerful and transformational, the best is yet to come!

 

Six years ago I re-joined the Clarkstown Schools after a ten year hiatus.  I chose to leave my job of eight years as Director of Technology in the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns to come to Clarkstown; a choice I made because Clarkstown is a District with a clearly defined vision and a forward thinking superintendent.  

Over these six years, I have been fortunate to openly collaborate with many individuals including teachers, administrators, teaching assistants, community members and industry leaders.  As a result of these collective efforts, our students have many more opportunities to use technology tools as an integral part of their learning.  

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Our youngest students have benefitted from the District’s commitment to install SMART Boards in all elementary schools (an ongoing program).  Many middle and high school students work in classrooms that are also equipped with this technology, largely as a result of support from the Clarkstown Education Foundation.  

Children in grades 4-12 have increasingly greater access to technology resources, including netbooks, Chromebooks, laptops, SMART document cameras, updated labs and classrooms, and a recently implemented Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) wireless network.  A four-year technology refresh plan is now in its second year, and students will have even greater access to quality technology resources in September.

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Great teachers and abundant professional development opportunities makes these “boxes and wires” come to life as a valuable part of our childrens' learning experience.  Google Apps has become a cornerstone for our curriculum and an integral part of many classes (view video, Clarkstown starts at 1:25 or read the case study).  In September the District will provide a separate and secure online Google Apps portal for fourth and fifth grade students.

Students benefit from other “anytime/anywhere” programs, including online software for mathematics, English Language Arts, keyboarding, research, and more.  Information and links to district resources are available at http://techbackpack.ccsd.edu.  

As classes end and the summer begins, many teachers and administrators in the District will be working on projects and strategies to further engage our students in their learning.  The past six years have gone quickly, and though the changes are powerful and transformational, the best is yet to come!

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