Current State of Information Technology at Lincoln Community School

Assessment of Student Skills

Lincoln Community School currently has no assessment tools to measure students skills in information technology. This does not mean that students do not have an opportunity to learn and apply these skills in school. However, the faculty has not developed a systematic approach to integrating information technology skills in the curriculum in a way that ensures that every student develops information technology skills to an equivalent degree. All teachers use information technology in their classrooms at different times and for different purposes.

Assessment of Staff Skills

Bill Jesdale conducted a survey of all support staff, professional staff and classroom teachers to ascertain information technology skills at Lincoln Community School. The survey was taken in June, 1997.

Each person was asked to score one's proficiency in a variety of areas. The following scale was used for scoring:

I know nothing about this.
I am beginning to learn this.
I can be productive using basic functions.
I know and can use most functions.
I feel comfortable using almost all functions.

The results are based on this scale of 1 through 5 points. The survey results may be found in the Appendix. Click here to see the survey results taken in June, 1997.

From the survey, it is evident that most teachers have acquired basic skills in word processing and are able to produce documents for themselves and for students. Skills are weaker in other areas such as spreadsheets, preparing graphs from data, databases, multimedia and telecommunications. Several teachers are proficient in almost all areas, but others may be lacking skills which go beyond basic word processing. It is also apparent that the support staff is weaker overall in almost all categories.

This baseline survey will prove useful to the Administration and to the Technology Committee in future years as it can be used as a tool to measure growth in attaining basic competencies for both the professional and support staff. Further, the information gleaned from the survey will help the Technology Committee set the direction of future professional development programs at school and within the district.

Inventories

Inventories for both software and hardware resources at Lincoln Community School were taken during the spring semester of 1997.

Software

Computer software is available on most classroom computers and in the library/media center. An inventory of existing software was taken during the winter-spring of 1997. Click here to see the Software Inventory contained in the Appendix.

In general, the library media center includes software titles that are used by classroom teachers at all grade levels. These include multimedia encyclopedias and reference software to compliment classroom curriculum. All classrooms have general word processing, spreadsheet, and database software using Clarisworks. Typically, lower grades have drill and practice software and an exploratory graphics program such as Kid Pix. Higher grades offer multimedia authoring software titles such as HyperStudio. Several classrooms have Internet browsing and email software. The number of software titles are limited to the number of machines available in each classroom.

Hardware

Computer hardware is extremely limited at Lincoln Community School. Given a student population of 113 students and a faculty/staff count of 24, access to computers is restricted and often difficult.

Ratios. In the Spring of 1997, the total student to computer ratio was approximately 9 students to every one computer (9:1). This count included older computers without multimedia capability (i.e., without CD-ROMs and sound cards). When the total number of students to computers was taken using only the new generation computers, the ratio was 14 students to every one multimedia computer (14:1).

One multimedia computer was located in every classroom in grades one through 6; two multimedia computers were located in the grade 5/6 classroom. One multimedia computer was available in the Library Media Center. Special education computers are limited to Apple IIe and IIGS machines. Specialty teachers in art, health, music and physical education must share computers located in the regular classroom.

During the 1997-1998 school year, however, the number of computers will increase due to the grant award to the ANESU School District to implement Information Literacy Standards. This award enabled the school to buy two multimedia computers for the library media center and an LCD projection device. These new machines have been placed in the Library Media Center and are being connected to a scanner and printer to create a multimedia reference section in the library.

Additionally, the Merchants Bank has donated five 486 computers to the school. The donated 486 computers will be upgraded in order to run newer software products.The addition of these seven computers will greatly increase the access to computers within the school for students, teachers and community members. With these newly acquired machines, the student to computer ratio (for new generation computers) will increase to 8 students to every one computer (8:1).

Click here to see the Hardware Inventory at Lincoln Community School.

Facilities

Lincoln Community School does not have spaces specially designed for information technology use and/or management. The Library Media Center is quite small. The creation of the multimedia/reference cluster and the five donated 486 computers will consume any unused space currently available in the library media center.

Lincoln does not have space set aside for large group instruction using computers. When a computer workshop is held, faculty members move computers into the Library and a small mini-lab can be established (12 workstations). The Resource Room is large enough to house a computer lab for the school, although this in turn will mean that students who meet in this room must find alternative places to work.

Classrooms could hold additional computer setups, but more than 4 computers in a classroom would be difficult to manage.

No office space is currently available for a technology coordinator or for a network server and wiring. Storage of computer equipment, wiring, software and supplies is also lacking.

Floorplan of Lincoln Community School

Alice Leeds and Rick Good reviewed all possible spaces for information technology use. Rick Good used blue prints of the building to create a floor plan. To see this floorplan, click here.

Areas of Classrooms

In considering a room which could possibly be used for a computer lab, Rick Good calculated the sqaure footage required for certain computer configurations. Click here to see square footage information.

Networking and Telecommunications Capacities

Lincoln Community School does not have a local area network. Therefore, there is currently no sharing of information via files, and no shared resources for telecommunications or printers.

Voice and data lines are inadequate to meet the daily needs of Lincoln School. Currently, three telephone lines exist. Two lines are used for voice communications. One line is designated for telecommunications access to the Internet. Teachers have developed a system for sharing this one line by signing up for certain time periods during the school day. After regular school hours, two lines are available for teachers to use for telecommunications purposes (e-mail and/or research).

Current State of Curriculum and Information Technology Initiatives

Teachers are integrating information technology into the curriculum in a variety of ways. It is clear, however, that this approach is not reaching every child within the school. To gain some appreciation for how Lincoln teachers are using information technology, Debi Gray asked teachers to supply her with descriptions of technology use in the classroom (Spring, 1997). The following list describes some of the current applications of information technology at Lincoln Community School.

Clarisworks Word Processing. Newsletters, notices, classroom news, brochures. Primary grades: dictating stories, descriptions, letter identification using different fonts, language arts practice skills.
Clarisworks Spreadsheets. Used by grades 2-6 for math-problem solving, graphing and data display.
The Writing Center. Student reports, stories, poems (Lanuage Arts).
Kid Pix. Used mostly in Kindergarten and Grade 1 for number and letter identification, patterning, finding similarities and differences, word matching; slide shows for presentations.
HyperStudio. Multimedia authoring program used with units of study. Students in the upper grades involved in the Web Project concerning local histories have created a multimedia presentation that includes video, sound, images, and text.
Electronic Encyclopedias, Atlases, Dictionaries. All grades for research, younger grades for music, animation, information.
Type to Learn. Used by grades 2-6 for computer keyboarding practice.
Simulation Software
Internet. Research in subject areas, tracking recent events, such as The Flight of Linda Finch. Staff use for electronic mail, programs and information for teaching units and staying current in their fields of expertise. Upper grades are currently creating historic web pages linked to the Vermont Historical Society and based on local research. This involves use of our scanner and video camera as well for recording interviews. Students have also been involved in data collection activities using environmental data through the Globe Project.
Notation Software. Used in music classes to compose. Sequencing using a midi keyboard interface. Student work is shared via the Internet.
Drill and Practice. Used in all subject areas across grade levels.
Basic Computer Skills. All grades.

Review of Professional Development Activities and Structures

Faculty and staff members of Lincoln Community School are provided with professional development opportunities using a variety of approaches. During the 1996-97 school year, Principal Bill Jesdale arranged for Sandy Lathem, the ANESU Technology Coordinator, to hold after school workshops every other Monday. Workshop topics included basic computing skills such as word processing, graphics, and spreadsheets in Clarisworks. During the January in-service, Sandy Lathem spent the morning reviewing information technology integration and telecommunications projects available to teachers. At the March 3, 1997 in-service, a full day was devoted to information technology. Gregg Martin, from the Vermont Institute of Science, Mathematics and Technology, gave presentations on Hyperstudio and how to scan images using the school's scanner. As an ongoing effort, the District Technology Coordinator continues to be available to work with faculty members who have specific questions or interests.

The Addison Northeast Supervisory District also provides professional development opportunities in information technology. First, graduate level courses are offered to all faculty and staff via the Addison/Rutland Consortium. Second, the District commits at least one half-day in-service which is devoted to the topic of information technology. Third, the ANESU Tech Team has offered professional development workshops on information technology after school at either the Bristol Elementary School or at Mt. Abraham Union High School. A complete listing of the course and workshop offerings during Spring, 1997 may be found at http://www.vetc.vsc.edu/anesu/techplan/plan97.htm.

Information Technology Support Staffing

Lincoln Community School does not employ a technology support person. The librarian works two days a week -- one half day is devoted to the support of information technology, but only with library-based problems and equipment. Part of the librarian's role is to work with teachers using the technology which may include some instruction and support, but not as a technologist. The librarian serves on the ANESU Technology Team as a representative for Lincoln School. Previously, Alice Leeds, the 5/6th grade teacher, served in this capacity. Teachers help each other to resolve questions that arise, but no one is immediately on-hand to resolve hardware or software problems that occur.

The ANESU Technology Coordinator, has worked at Lincoln as needed to install software and solve basic application software problems. Teachers may request help from the Technology Coordinator via electronic mail. The school's principal has contracted general maintenance and repair work on an hourly basis as needed. When a computer has a serious repair needed, it is sent to a local service company.