SBTS EdTech

Career day at Oak View was in the planning stages.  A parent who is stationed in IRAQ volunteered to participate via Video Conferencing which we had never done.  Turns out is is easy! Download and install Skype. Get a camera.  Coordinate with the parent.  All set.
It was an awesome experience. Students, teachers, and parent all seemed to love it.  Part of it was the technology involved was cool, part of it was the “amazingness” of being able to communicate with someone in another part of the world, and part was a well done presentation.
Definitely a technology we hope to use again in the future.

A fifth grade teacher approached me (the SBTS) about the Senteo devices and indicated he would like to take them for a test drive.  We’ve been using SMARTBoards regularly now for about three years, so this seemed like the next logical step. I borrowed a set and my TSSpec and I worked with him to set it up.  He took it from there!  He engaged his class routinely using the Senteos and invited the administrators to his class to see a lesson.  He then took the extra step of sharing the devices at a recent staff meeting.  One of the questions he had them vote on was whether or not they thought Senteos could be used in their classroom.  One hundred percent responded in the affirmative!  Next month we will share Senteos with PTA members and are looking at the possibilities of purchasing a few sets for our school.  The power of this comes from the fact that a teacher took the lead on this. My TSSpec and I provided the support, but had I tried to push these devices here, I don’t think it would have been as successful.  A teacher integrating technology is far more powerful than a Tech Specialist doing it.