10. Describe the steps being taken to ensure that all students and teachers have increased access to technology. The description must include how Ed Tech funds, if applicable, will be used to help students in high-poverty and high-needs schools, or in schools identified for improvement or corrective action under Section 1116 of Title I; and how the steps taken will ensure that teachers are prepared to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction.
The district has shown steady growth over the past several years in providing students and staff with increased access to the latest technology. Our technology plan has provided the blueprint to upgrade technology, network and increase access within our district but shrinking budgets have impacted our replacement schedules. The MLTI laptop project’s one-to-one technology initiative has changed access dramatically at our middle school. With MLTI v.2.0 we were able to refresh Middle School technology for students and staff in the 2006-07 school year. We as a district do believe in the fundamental principles of the MLTI program that it’s not about the laptops – it’s about teaching and learning.
Cape Elizabeth expanded the one-to one program to the ninth grade two years ago with limited success. The laptops purchased for ninth grade one-to-one are now in six carts of 24 laptops and are assigned to a department for their use. This plan seems to be working well at the high school as it has enabled us to provide access across the curriculum, grades 9-12. There is some school community support to expand the one-to-one program into our high school but limited funding has hindered our efforts to continue the program. The high school library is open Monday through Thursday two hours beyond the school day to expand access to computers and other library resources. Our high school library also allows students to check out laptops for home use.
We are almost to the point in Cape Elizabeth school district where all staff are provided laptops as necessary tools for work. Staff in grades 5-12 already have laptops and proposed in the current budget are monies for the elementary school staff. Having access to the same technology and software 24/7 helps our staff with accessibility and incorporating technology into teaching and learning.
At the Middle School, students are encouraged to take their laptops home. The technology staff has preconfigured many of the local ISP’s into our base image that we used to clone the laptops. Students should be able to take the laptop home, change the location setting and they are ready to connect to their home network. The district offers a laptop protection plan for parents concerned about damage to laptops while at home. The district is considering a filtering software piece to be installed on each laptop for to restrict access to inappropriate site during use at home.
Staff attend workshops at USM or at ALL Tech on assistive technology and bring back information and software that is targeted to specific special education students. We use this information to provide access form these students with special needs.
The Thomas Memorial Library (Public Library), which is open 55 hours a week, provides access to community members so students and the general public have the availability of computers and other library resources. The library has a wireless network installed so students can connect to this network with their laptops.
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