Transcript

My role at our school is the technology coordinator. In addition, I'm also a classroom teacher. As a technology coordinator, my job here is to support the teachers with the implementation of technology. When I first came to the school, a lot of the teachers were a little technologically apprehensive. They didn't truly understand how these amazing teaching tools could help them in their classroom. Now, a few years later, we have flourished. We have teachers who are constantly using the various types of technology we have at our school. One of them being the smart board, another being the iPads, netbooks, laptops. We've got it all, and we're using it all. And I'm so excited about that. Our school is unique in the sense that some of our teachers teach Hebrew, and some of them teach English. It doesn't matter what they're teaching, because our technology can adapt to that. The iPads have English applications as well as Hebrew applications.

One of our challenges is that in this type of school, a lot of the teachers were a little bit scared and apprehensive when we started introducing so much technology. However, they've come to love it and they use it in a way that's appropriate for them and in their classroom. It's amazing that we have all of this hardware at our fingertips. The smart boards, the iPads and the netbooks. However, what truly makes them amazing is the software. So what we do is, we go through the software with the teachers and train them how to use it appropriately so that the software can really enhance the learning environment of the students. Some of the software that we use is smart notebook software, which is used on the smart board. Also, on the iPads, we use Hebrew Apps as well as English Apps to really enhance the learning. 

We were really careful about how we introduced the technology to our teachers. So for example, we would put the technology into specific classrooms at first, and once those teachers got really excited, the excitement spread and all of the other teachers started asking for the same technology. Instead of forcing it on them, we had them ask for the technology. Once all the teachers had the technology, they needed to be trained. So what we do, is we have workshops. All the time, after school, before school, during lunch, lunch and learns. Any opportunity we get, we train our teachers, because we want them to feel comfortable and allow them to use their individual teaching to come through the technology. We really wanted the teachers to maintain their own individual teaching style while using the technology. And now, they are so excited, and they are asking me how do to things. It's amazing. 

Technology has really engaged our students. When I come by with the iPad, you should see their faces. They are so excited to be able to use the iPads. And they'll ask me: Mrs. Joshi, are we going to be able to use the iPads today? It's so much fun to see how much they've grasped onto this, and how engaged they are now. Our computer lab is used constantly. All the way from kindergartens to grade eights, they all have time that they can come into the lab and use our computers. The kindergartens will first learn the parts of the computer and how to actually use their fine motor skills when typing and on the mouse. The grade eights will be using certain programs that will prepare them for high school. Now, the great thing about mobile technology is if our computer lab is being used, we can easily wheel in the netbooks and have a computer lab in which ever classroom that needs it.