Our Technology Plan

We believe in the need to infuse technology across the curriculum in order to provide engaging and challenging learning experiences that enable our students to become skilled productive workers. Technology helps students work at their own pace while catering to their individual learning styles, provides unlimited sources of up to-date information, offers global access to other learners and mentors, and motivates at-risk students.

Students' performance will increase as they learn to access information on the Internet, research their ideas using electronic resources, organize and revise their ideas using desktop publishing, collaborate on projects through telecommunications, and present multimedia projects to a variety of audiences.

We have been able to meet our technological goals thanks to the following grants:

Edutech Grant sponsored by the Dade Public Education Fund funded through P.L. Dodge Foundations

Technology Incentive Grant funded through the state of Florida

South Florida Annenberg Challenge: Citibank FamilyTech a program of the Dade Public Education Fund

AT&T TeachNet: Provide teachers the opportunity to write grants to help implement teacher generated activities.

Digital Camera User's Manuals are available in Mrs. Sampedro's Office.

Sponsors:

 

Citigroup Foundation

Citibank

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

DERM- Department of Environmental Resources Management

The Ethel & W. George Kennedy Foundation

Florida Department of Education

 

Citibank FamilyTech

Citibank FamilyTech is a program sponsored by the Dade Public Education Fund.  This program makes home computers available to low-income students and families who could not otherwise afford them.  The computers are donated my companies such as FPL, Carnival Cruise Lines and other companies that are upgrading their systems.  Students receive technology enriched lessons in the classrooms as well an in the Computer Lab.  Parents are trained on how to use the computers to assist with their child's homework.

Citibank FamilyTech is being implemented in grades 1 through 5. Approximately 400 students will have computers with FREE Internet Access at home by the end of this school year.

FamilyTech Parent Trainer/Coordinator
Rosa Sampedro

Parents are participating in a new exciting, innovative program.  We have established the following groups thanks to Citibank FamilyTech and The EdFund:

Parent Advisory Group

This group works with the general school environment.  They talk about and solve problems within the school to make it a better place.  They discuss scheduling, cleanliness of the school, supplies for teachers, books for media center, homework, FCAT, etc.  

Parent Technology Group

This group helps other parents solve basic computer problems, like how to log on, check their email or carry out dialogue at a website chat room.

Parents are logging on to http://educationfund.org/cft/    so that they could be involved in an open dialogue between other parents.

 

AT&T TeachNet Project 

AT&T Coordinator, Rosa Sampedro

This grant has supplied us with two "Publishing Centers".  Each publishing center has a computer and a printer for students to publish their work.  Students are currently using communication skills to send letters, greeting cards, and emails to epals and penpals from around the world.

The students are:

The teachers are:
Tech Enriched Activities
4H Newsletter
Students write articles and submit them to the IFAS Cooperative Extension/ 4H Newsletter.
Students write about the activities in the classroom such as subjects being studied and projects being done.

Writer of Month
One student from each class is selected to represent their class.  Parents are invited to listen to the students' writing selection.  Students are awarded ribbons and certificates and refreshments are served.

African American Voices
Class biography book is compiled and published by students.

Tech Portfolio
Each student maintains a portfolio containing computer generated work.

Science Fair Projects
Students research online projects and use clip art programs and word processors to assemble their project boards.

Designing Stationary
Students designed their own stationary and matching envelopes, address labels and note cards.  Students then used their stationary to write to their pen pals.

Epals
Students in various classes are communicating with students in countries such as Australia, Canada and Japan.  They are sharing their favorite books and tidbits about themselves.  Students are also sending each other greeting cards for upcoming holidays and special occasions.

Community Recognition

Youth Fair
Students enter printed and graphical output examples using desktop publishing and drawing tools, creative word processing output, Kid Pix out put, and others.

Title 1 Young Authors Contest
Students compete within the school, the region and district.  The objectives of the contest are:  to enrich and expand creative writing skills of students;  to provide an opportunity for students to publish their writings and to assist teachers in providing additional opportunities for parents to support the development of their children's writing skills.

Books with Wings
Students create "ABC Picture Books".  They write and receive recognition for their efforts.

Reading Rainbow Story Contest
Students publish their work at the Reading Rainbow Web site.

Outstanding Native Americans Essay Contest
Students research Native Americans using the Internet.  Their published work is displayed in the Media Center.

Women of Impact Essay Contest
School wide essay competition in which students use Internet.  The students compile information and write about  women who have made an impact in history.

All About Me Books
Students created a timeline book about important days in their lives.  They used Kid Pix to write and illustrate each page.