Projectors That Empower Students to be Technologically Literate

Media and Methods, Jan/Feb 2006 by Allen, Brother Jeff

Verbum Dei, a large Catholic high school in urban Los Angeles, is known for its work study program. The school offers financially challenged students direct contact with today's technologically-advanced learning tools. It is a setting worth looking at as a success model that administrators and teachers can adapt in their own schools.

Verbum Dei students have a shortened week of class time due to their corporate work study program. Just a few years ago, school administrators realized that new instructional technologies might help teachers with their classroom lessons.

Verbum Dei administrators and teachers turned to an audio/visual integration company, who helped them fulfill theirtechnological needs. They submitted a proposal to the SMARTer Kids Foundation grant program (www.necvisualsystems.com/skf/). This grant program enables schools to acquire technology equipment at more affordable rates. Using the funds received from this grant, Verbum Dei decided they wanted to purchase a large number of projectors for their school. NEC projectors were installed in each of the school's 21 classrooms.

Aftermath of Projector Installations

Today, students report they actually look forward to their classes to see what daily images will be projected up on the screen. Teachers use the projectors for PowerPoint presentations as well as to display information from the Web.

Teachers say that they now find it easy to incorporate DVD movie clips into history lessons. In science classes and labs, teachers project formulas and 3D models. Students also use the projectors to enhance their oral presentations by incorporating movie segments and images to complement their topics.

Some students are using projectors in their work-study settings to demonstrate their knowledge of some of the equipment they use. In one business meeting, a student used the projector to show the company's financial growth in a Power Point presentation.

Teachers report that the visual stimulation of projecting images seems to have led to more student participation and less zoning out. Verbum Dei High School has stepped up to the plate by realizing the importance of pushing to obtain up-to-date educational tools.

What is your school doing to empower your students to be prepared for the expectations of technology literacy?

Brother Jeff Alien is the Information Technology Coordinator at Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles, CA. His school uses projectors from NEC Solutions, www.necvisualsystems.com.