School Technology Survey
1. School name:
Hawthorne Elementary School
2. Name of Principal:
Ms. Broadhead
3.Names of teachers talked with whose classrooms you visited and grade level:
Ms. Harris, third and fourth grade in the Curriculum and Assessment Lab program
4. Ask the teachers/principal their perspective on current and future use of technology in the classroom:
Ms. Harris worries that technology can be a distraction, especially for children who love video games. She does, however, also believe that technology skills are important in modern society and should be a part of education.
5. Does the school have its own website?
The school has its own website (hawthorne.slcschools.org).
6. Do teachers at the school have class blogs? If so who has access to them?
There are no class blogs, but Ms. Harris does have her own website, open to anyone (http://my.uen.org/myuen/26380/Home).
7. Is there a school technology supervisor? Name?
7. Is there a school technology supervisor? Name?
Hawthorne has a full computer lab, maintained by Ms. Empey-Baxter.
8. Do all the classrooms have computers in them? Explain what you find:
8. Do all the classrooms have computers in them? Explain what you find:
Not all classrooms in the school have computers, but there is a shared computer lab. All classrooms in the Curriculum and Assessment Lab program (a total of three classrooms in the school) have computers.
9. Is there a computer lab/s? If so how is it used and by whom?
There is a computer lab that is used by students of all grade levels, with older students often using it more than younger students. It is often used for research projects.
10. What kinds of computers are in the school – PC’s, Laptops, Mac’s etc.? Overhead projection equipment etc.:
Every two students share a PC. There is a projector and screen (but no smart board) and a camera that connects to the projector.
11. What software programs are regularly used by teachers?
The students learn how to use Internet Explorer and PowerPoint. They also use a program called “FASTT Math” to learn and practice basic math facts and a program called “Mavis Beacon” to learn typing skills.
12. Can/do teachers use the Internet in their instruction? Detail findings.
The students are taught Internet research skills, such as searching. The third and fourth graders were using these skills to do research projects.
13. How does a teacher get further training to use technology?
Teachers in the Curriculum and Assessment Lab program receive several years of training on both how to use the technology and how to incorporate it into their teaching. Additional training is available in the use of specific programs.
14. See if you can get a sense of the % of students who might have a computer in their home:
Ms. Harris estimates that about 75% of her students have computers at home.
15. Did you observe students using computer-based technology? If so detail what you observed:
I observed students working on Internet research about Madagascar hissing cockroaches both in the classroom and in the computer lab. The students were given a set of information that they had to find (such as a physical description of the cockroaches, their habitat, their diet, et cetera) and used online search engines to seek out this information, which they then wrote down by hand as notes. If one student found a particularly helpful website, he/she would share it with the class. I noticed that there was a filter on the school’s Internet to prevent unsavory material from reaching the children.
I also observed the students using the FASTT Math and Mavis Beacon programs. The two programs were similar in that both involved first learning the basic skills or facts and then applying them in some sort of fun game. The students seemed to really enjoy the games, which worked as an incentive for them to complete the lessons and learn the facts or skills. I also noticed that different children worked at different steps within each of these programs, allowing each student to learn at his/her own level and rate.
