Technology Integration into Columbia's Curriculum

Keyboards are a part of everyday life for most of us. Essential to our jobs and access to the internet, we depend on all types of keyboards: virtual keyboards, comfortable keyboards, ergo dynamic keyboards and a weird keyboard entitled Franken keyboard. Most of the keyboards in use today use the QWERTY letter arrangement. Although it seems strange when you first begin to type, you soon get used to the arrangement of the letters on the QWERTY keyboard and learn to overcome your initial doubts.

In much the same way, the use of the internet and computers initially seemed strange in education and people were not sure how to use it to benefit our students. Through the use of the internet Columbia School District teachers are able to open up the world to our students. In our English courses teachers assign blogging to their students. Sometimes a student will blog and other students give feedback and comment on the blog entry. Even our first grade students use blogging to help develop their writing skills.

Other classrooms use the power of the internet to do research with up to date information. When most of us were in school we used sources that were several years old to do our research. Students today have the opportunity to read research that has just been released.

Our middle school students are using Chromebooks in various classes to increase their ability to compete in a 21st Century learning environment. They are experiencing technology integrated directly into the curriculum. Social studies class provides an excellent example of technology integration into the curriculum. Earlier this year students in middle school social studies were researching early American history beginning with the 13 Colonies. Each student had to use internet resources to research one of the 13 Colonies, report on the demographics and events that happened during that time. They created a web page to report their findings to their teachers and fellow classmates.

Early in their student careers, our preschool students have the opportunity to become acquainted with technology in the form of iPads. The students use the iPads and special preschool apps to practice their alphabet complete with sounds. They also work on learning their numbers. In addition, there are apps that help students grasp the concepts of matching, patterning, adding and subtraction.

As part of our Bond Issue Projects the Columbia School District is expanding our technology infrastructure and ability to offer our students the best in technology integration. As we move into the next year, our technology coordination team will begin installing the updated infrastructure, ordering additional devices and installing additional wireless access points. We are all very excited about the updated technology because our teachers and students will benefit greatly.

If you would like to learn more about Columbia School District or our programs, please call me at 5175926641 or email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org .