In the fall of 2007, Grace School sponsored a “Vision Night” where parents and faculty shared ideas about what they thought it would take to make the school stronger. Since then, the school organization has used those discussion points as a basis for updating many facets of the school, particularly, technology. For the 2009-2010 school year we were able to purchase the following equipment:
- 4 SmartBoards,
- 28 Smart Document Cameras,
- 84 Smart Airliner wireless slates,
- 23 Smart Senteo classroom interactive response systems,
- updated desktop computers in the middle school la,
- 24 netbooks,
- as well as several flip video cameras.
Currently, the technology team has been diligently working on revising our Grace technology plan to ensure successful implementation of digital tools in the 21st century. Through professional learning communities (PLCs) created around book studies including Superteaching and Reinventing Project-Based Learning in a Digital World, teachers have been working collaboratively on innovative projects which seamlessly integrate technology into their curriculum. Additionally, students and teachers are supported by instructional technology specialists who assist with planning and implementing projects. To create and share ideas, students and teachers use several Web 2.0 tools such as Blogger, Divshare, Slideshare, Picassa, Wikispaces, and Google applications, to name a few. Further resources available to the students include Adobe CS3 (consisting of PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, Bridge, and Acrobat Professional 8), VoiceThread, Google student email accounts, ePals, Ulead Video Studio, and Music Maker.
Not only do students have the opportunity to incorporate technology into their regular curriculum, but middle schoolers have supplementary opportunities to explore technology through elective courses such as Tech CASE (Change Agents for the Student Experience), NewsTeam, and Yearbook. With the anticipation of a major remodel project, our Grace community is looking forward to continuously enhancing the equipment and resources available to both students and teachers to inspire Christian leaders for a global tomorrow.