Improved access to learning: to maximize student learning, everyone in the school community needs timely and effective access to the right information and learning resources

Leadership, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Sandra Miller, Michael Simkins

Technology also helps parents who want to work with their children on reading or math skills. Working with the teacher, they can use CDs from the school's program to extend and reinforce learning at home. Another skills connection program provides a tutorial for practice testing. Parents can see samples of test questions as well as how to teach a concept to their child. Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner at Willow, and the goal ix to continue the loons on learning 24 hours a day.

Access to student information also keeps learning in everyone's sights. Teachers can access information on students' reading and math skills. Teachers can see the progress of students and look back to past skill development. Monitoring by the whole school community helps ensure that a student won't fail through the cracks.

Support personnel can also access the data and help students. The psychologist's computer is a part of the network, so she can easily access a student's academic progress in reading, school attendance or behavioral incidents. The ESL instructor and other aides all have access to the network with their own computers and can work with students at any time.

The RSP teacher has increased ongoing communication with the teachers using the school's technology network. With access to the same software programs used by the teachers, she can provide individualized learning plans that help students move ahead as quickly as possible. Involving everyone has increased motivation, because everyone sees the progress students are making.

A special advantage of the school-wide technology network involves the age-old problem of attendance and tardy students. All attendance is entered on the computer, including tardy students. At 9:30 a.m. each day the tardy list is available online. Those students who were tardy must do detention. The detention teacher prints out the list of students and knows who to expect.

Technology is essential to student learning at Willow, and it has taken more than three years to build the infrastructure to make it happen. Principal Frank is firm in his belief that everyone must have reliable access to technology. Classroom technology includes a large, fast laser printer in each room. These require less maintenance, and are available over the network. If one is down, access to another is available. When a teacher or child is ready to print, the technology must be there. If a teacher wants to use technology to support student learning and it isn't working, it's like taking 10 steps backwards!

Almost all computers and printers at Willow were acquired through donations from businesses (law firms, banks, etc.). These are ongoing partnerships that will agree to pass on older hardware as upgrades are purchased. Providing hardware through donations allows Frank to use school funds for technology aides. Technology aides conduct once-a-week sessions in a computer lab for every classroom.

This year, Frank continues to move toward integrating the power of technology by using students as experts. Four students from each classroom (two Title 1 students and any two others) receive special instruction each week from the principal and the school's technology aides on different parts of the school's software programs. The student mentors learn things that teachers and other students can use in the classroom. They become the experts who help integrate technology and increase access to additional ways for students to learn.