Technology Task Force Report
Garden City Public Schools
Board of Education
May 17, 2016
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Technology Task Force Members
Robert Feirsen - Superintendent Tom Pinou – Vice President, Board of Education
Ted Cannone, Asst. Supt., Curriculum & Instruction Dana DiCapua, Asst. Supt., Business & Finance
Rita Melikian, Director, Educational Technology Audrey Bellovin, Principal, Hemlock
Lauren Maguire, Technology Staff Developer Elena Cascio, Curriculum Coord., Science
Kevin Steingruebner, Asst. Principal, HS Pat Galano, IT Manager
Margaux Calemmo, Librarian, HS Ruth Fuller, Assistive Tech. Specialist
Christine Kenney, 1st Grade Teacher Lauren Lavelle, 4th Grade Teacher
Allison Moss, HS Special Ed. Teacher Kevin Pollitt, Computer Teacher
Marc Turner, Community Member Don Elustondo, Community Member
Andreas Petrides, 12th Grade Student Edward Keenan, Community Member
Liz Santos, PTA Member Dessie Dimino, 12 Grade Student
Stephen Dickey, SEPTA Member Maria Zografos, PTA Member
Jeannette Balantic, Curriculum Coord. Soc.Stud. Judith Conforti, Computer Teacher
Philosophy Statement
Garden City Public Schools views technology as a tool to enhance the
quality of education for all students. As responsible digital citizens, students
are encouraged to be independent, inquisitive, analytical and creative
learners collaborating and applying their learning to real world contexts.
Moreover, technology promotes collaboration among educators by
facilitating professional dialogue, providing access to resources, and
encouraging the design of individualized, engaging and enriching learning
experiences for students.
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1:1 Initiative: Return on Investment
What can you do now by using technology in your classroom that you couldn't do before?
Faculty Responses:
• Differentiate instruction and assignments more readily and with a lot more flexibility. Provide much
more individualized reading instruction
• Collect immediate results on student assignments and assessments to modify instruction or
clarify information
• Provide immediate real-time feedback and comments for students on their work rather than after
they are finished with the assignment
• Using the devices has markedly increased student engagement and motivation
• Using Google classroom has increased collaboration and communication
• Work continues even after class is over. When students are out several days due to illness, they
are able to keep up with the work because many of the assignments were posted in Google
Classroom
• I love both the freedom and the flexibility that technology has provided for every one of my
students!!
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Technology Infrastructure/ Non-Instructional Issues:
• The Technology Task Force met during 2015-2016 school year. IT investigated instructional needs and infrastructure necessary to support our philosophy about the role of technology in teaching and learning.
• Based upon the research provided by the IT Department, the Task Force determined that a robust wireless and wired network infrastructure with a technical and instructional support system are the most critical components for successfully integrating technology in all our schools.
• The Smart Schools Bond Act was designed to assist schools in implementing and updating their technology infrastructure. The Technology Task Force recommends utilizing Smart Schools Bond Act funds to address infrastructure needs.
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Smart Schools Bond Expenditure Recommendations
Specifically, the following recommendations are presented for the use of the school district’s Smart Schools Bond allocation ($561,721):
• Replace three current firewalls to 1 Gig Palo Alto firewalls - $126,000
• Will allow increasing our Internet throughput to one gig
• Update and upgrade existing uninterrupted power supply batteries (UPS) in all server closets throughout the schools - $116,000
• Will insure continuity of service to our students and staff
• Replace current server and switch cabinets located at district’s network operations center (NOC) - $122,000
• Will enhance our network monitoring and management ability
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Smart Schools Bond Expenditure
Recommendations (cont.)
The first three projects will be submitted to NYSED for streamlined review and approval.
The last project will be submitted under a second phase and will encompass:
• Upgrading existing fiber cables to connect wiring closets in all buildings
• Replacing existing Cat5 ethernet network cables with Cat6e - $197,721
(The total cost is estimated to be $600,000 and will be supplemented with $400,000 allocated in capital funds.)
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Our 1:1 Mobile Device Snapshot (2015-16)
Elementary- All 4th and 5th
grade classes have 1:1 iPad
carts
Middle School-
Chromebooks in 5
classrooms
High School-
Chromebooks in 24
classrooms
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Four-Year Projected Budget for 1:1 Initiative Deployment
Budget year No. of Teachers/Classrooms
Number
of iPads
Number of
Chromebooks
Total device
expenditures
Related
software
2015-16 – includes
lease/finance
57 teachers - all 4&5 classrooms,
29 HS/MS classrooms 650 620 $491,000 $35,000
2016-17 – includes
lease/finance
37 teachers - all 6th grade teachers
and MS/HS classrooms 60 900 $351,000 $35,000
2017-18 – includes
lease/finance
22 teachers - all 7th grade teachers
and MS/HS teachers 30 700 $285,000 $25,000
2018-19
22 teachers - all 8th grade teachers
and MS/HS teachers 30 700 $285,000 $25,000
Devices will be refreshed
on a 4-year cycle - 2019-
2020 school year will be
first year of refresh for
the handheld devices 9
Five-Year Projected Budget for Technology
Budget
Year PCs
Total Device
Expenditures
Annual
BoTie Cost
All
Software Smartboards Servers Total
2015-16 $86,000 $408,910 $203,000 $180,000 $20,000 $20,000 $927,910
2016-17 $20,000 $351,000 $225,000 $295,000 $38,000 $20,000 $949,000
2017-18 $40,000 $285,000 $230,000 $310,000 $60,000 $40,000 $965,000
2018-19 $40,000 $285,000 $250,000 $326,000 $60,000 $40,000 $1,001,000
2019-20 $40,000 $340,000 $250,000 $340,000 $60,000 $40,000 $1,070,000
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Our 1:1 Mobile Device Snapshot (2015-16)
Elementary- All 4th and 5th
grade classes have 1:1 iPad
carts
Middle School-
Chromebooks in 5
classrooms
High School-
Chromebooks in 24
classrooms
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Student/Teacher Technology Survey Results:
Teachers:
➢ See a marked increase in student engagement, collaboration and higher level thinking
➢ As the year progressed, teachers felt more comfortable integrating technology into their curriculum
➢ Would like continued support to find new ways to effectively integrate the technology tools into their classrooms
Students:
➢ Overwhelmingly like using mobile devices in school
➢ Find devices are most useful in creating content for conducting research and accessing internet content
➢ Like a balance of traditional /modern approaches: i.e. notes by hand, writing and content creation using devices
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Professional Development
• On-demand, teacher-driven using online calendar sign-up system
• Scheduled, weekly meeting times with individual teachers and also small groups of new users
• After-school, in-service and summer staff development- Chromebook and iPad users
• Goals for next year: • Focus on Chromebook 1:1 initiative moves to GCMS, grade 6
• Continued support for current users- more Project Based Learning (PBL) activities
• Summer staff development offerings
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GOALS: Use technology to enhances lessons, projects, writing and assessments to reflect the SAMR model Use technology to enhance Project Based Learning and Research
Using Nearpod or Pear Deck to deliver instruction and assess
learning
Creating a paperless, collaborative learning environment with
Google Classroom
Using iPad apps for PBL and Research
Google Docs for typing, practice math and reading skills on devices
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Keri Hand & Sue Croon, 4th grade teachers, Stewart School
Jeannette Balantic, Curriculum Coordinator Social Studies
Jim Cotter, Science teacher, High School
Michele Ciquera, 5th grade teacher, Stratford School
Technology Task Force: Instructional Recommendations
• Pilot high-contact instructional cycles between elementary classroom teachers and elementary computer teachers to align use of instructional devices and applications in PBL
• Enhance keyboarding instruction for elementary students
• Participate in computer-based field testing for NYS exams
• Pilot e-books in the elementary schools
• Utilize library media specialists to continue enhancing technology-based research
• Continue to use surveys and classroom observations to assess the impact of the 1:1 program; modify and adjust plans as appropriate
• Expand our embedded professional development model to help teachers integrate technology in meaningful and productive ways. 15
Thank you for all your support!
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