NEW GLARUS - The New Glarus School District recently participated in the 2015 State School Leaders Advancing Technology Education Conference. Members from the district technology department and administration and a high school student presented two sectionals at the conference: Student Leaders in Technology, and Infusion of Technology and Curriculum.
For the first, the problem to resolve was how to address the IT ratio of 1:300 without adding new personnel. The solution was to tap into the strongest and brightest commodity that enters a school building on a daily basis: the students. The New Glarus School District implemented and is currently growing a student-led program that is the primary workforce that repairs hardware, creates digital signage, controls the district social media and allows the primary focus to be student needs.
For the Infusion of Technology and Curriculum sectional, the dilemma is that one of the most difficult
positions in an educational building is that held by the technology director. In the majority of districts, that position is held by an individual who is either an IT or has a very heavy IT background. They are the ones who get the phone call or "quick question" in the hall that ranges from "how do I turn on my computer?" to "how can my students 'push' their phones to the classroom projector?" They also need to stay current with software, hardware and new devices for the technology-hungry student population, while accommodating staff whose IT experience ranges from zero to more than 30 years of experience. The New Glarus School District has implemented a team approach that has proven successful in integrating technology into the curriculum.
For the first, the problem to resolve was how to address the IT ratio of 1:300 without adding new personnel. The solution was to tap into the strongest and brightest commodity that enters a school building on a daily basis: the students. The New Glarus School District implemented and is currently growing a student-led program that is the primary workforce that repairs hardware, creates digital signage, controls the district social media and allows the primary focus to be student needs.
For the Infusion of Technology and Curriculum sectional, the dilemma is that one of the most difficult
positions in an educational building is that held by the technology director. In the majority of districts, that position is held by an individual who is either an IT or has a very heavy IT background. They are the ones who get the phone call or "quick question" in the hall that ranges from "how do I turn on my computer?" to "how can my students 'push' their phones to the classroom projector?" They also need to stay current with software, hardware and new devices for the technology-hungry student population, while accommodating staff whose IT experience ranges from zero to more than 30 years of experience. The New Glarus School District has implemented a team approach that has proven successful in integrating technology into the curriculum.
