California's Turlock Unified School District recently announced a plan to upgrade technology in every classroom in the district's 15 schools, according to the Turlock Journal. While some schools, like Wakefield Elementary, feature advanced classroom technology like interactive whiteboards and student response systems, officials want to establish a unilateral classroom technology experience for students district-wide.
With classroom tools like a tablet computer, document camera or
DLP projector, educators can connect with students through a variety of learning styles. Using traditional methods, it can be time consuming to analyze trends and potential gaps in comprehension, and classroom technology tools can improve a teacher's ability to adapt lesson plans quickly.
"I’ve been thinking about how we utilize technology to improve instruction," TUSD superintendent Sonny Da Marto told the source. "It’s important that we keep up with kids today and it’s my vision to equip teachers with the technology to keep students' attention and enhance their education. The point of this is that we are able to improve overall instruction and keep the students’ focus on learning objectives."
School officials say that the first step in the process will be to take a system-wide inventory of existing technology and to establish a technological foundation for every classroom. Eventually, officials say, every student should have his or her own netbook, but that may take time.
