Bulldogs give 100%
The techKnowledge Campaign to Expand Learning Affects Every Child at GWA.
That's why we need 100% support!
For George Walton 1:1, is not just about laptops or smart phones or fun gadgets, rather it's about changing the culture and shifting the paradigm in a way that really makes a positive difference in the learning process.
Our vision is on how we can utilize technology, not for show, but to create a learning environment that will accelerate the creative learning process to give our students an advantage in college and beyond.
Our techKnowledge initiative is geared to meet the modern challenges facing educators and developing collaborative strategies to coordinate, integrate and support the education pipeline with technology.
Our techKnowledge initiative is a systematic, multi-tiered approach created after much research. GWA has spent considerable time evaluating schools and researching best practices. This is not just about providing a device to students.
First and most importantly we are investing in our teachers and providing the necessary training and tools. This allows them more creative opportunities to approach curriculum. To meet this need our Technology Department has accomplished the following:
Year One
Create a technology steering committee of technology oriented teachers dedicated to coaching, training and mentoring other teachers. This team also explores and evaluates new techniques and technologies and helps to establish technology teaching guidelines.
Building the needed infrastructure; GWA installed wireless campus wide and increased bandwidth.
Hire new technology teachers and additional support staff.
Evaluate 1:1 devices for teacher pilot program.
Initiate a teacher pilot program.
Creation of new technology offerings to students such as the Emerging Technology Leaders and computer programming and web design classes.
Year Two
Teacher training for all grades over the summer to cover pertinent technologies such as Moodle, Windows 8.1, Photoshop and InDesign and Promethean: Making the most out of Interactive White Board Technology.
School-wide upgrade of technology in the classrooms.
K4 - 3rd - We added interactive White Boards, LCD projection, DVD & DVR.
4th - 12th - We added 1:1 devices for teachers, LCD projection, DVD & DVR.
Integration of Moodle - a learning platform designed to provide educators, administrators and learners with a single robust, secure and integrated system to create personalized learning environments. It provides a set of learner-centric tools and collaborative-learning environment that empower both teaching and learning.
Promote and support BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in middle and high school.
January 2015 - Initiate 1:1 pilot program for current 9th grade.
Continuing focus on technology classroom offerings with the addition of an AP Technology class.
Roll out for OneNote for teacher/student note taking.
Roll out of DyKnow for classroom management.
It takes time to integrate technology into the fabric of education. In the fall of 2015, seventh grade and tenth grade teachers will go through a similar transformation. The process will be repeated again in 2016 and 2017 before all middle and high school students have a school issued device. Our point is that the device itself is one of the smallest components in this major shift in the integration of technology into the classroom. Every student from K4 on up is already part and current beneficiary of the extensive technology plan here at GWA.
