Technology Use Assessments | Curriculum Integration and Enhancement: Council Grove High School, Council Grove Middle and Elementary School, Prairie Heights Middle and Elementary Schools

Curriculum Integration and Enhancement

Council Grove Middle and Elementary School

a. There are three labs set up to facilitate the learning: A lab for the K-3 grades, a lab for 4-8 grades, and a classroom lab used for teaching software usage and integration of technology.

b. The K-3 classrooms use technology resources to supplement their curriculums. Reading is one of the targeted areas of the school improvement plan. Kidspiration is used to implement the selected strategy of concept mapping to improve reading skills. Treasure Math Storm is used to enhance the learning of math skills, another one of the school’s targeted areas in their School Improvement Plan. Sammy’s Science House is used to enhance the learning of science skills. A program called Triazzle is used to supplement the science curriculum focusing on the rainforest. ClarisWorks and KidsWorks are two programs that students use to improve their writing skills.

c. At the 4-8th grade level, much of the focus is to use technology tools to improve reading, writing, math, and research skills. Inspiration is used to teach or reinforce concept mapping skills, a strategy addressed in the School Improvement Plan to improve reading comprehension. ClarisWorks and Microsoft Word are used to work on writing skills another targeted area of the School Improvement Plan. HyperStudio is used as a multi-media tool to create reports on social studies topics and help in web page design. PageMill is also used for web page design. Math Blaster Plus is used to enhance the learning of math skills taught in the classroom.

d. The new math curriculum includes a technology component that enhances the learning from the textbook.

e. Students learn typing skills that help with their writing skills by using the programs Paws and Type to Learn. The philosophy here is that if the teachers can take away the obstical of the paper and pen, the students can write more freely and then more easily edit their work. Also because keyboarding skills are important to learn early, students are able to navigate around the computer more easily making integration in the curriculum more successful.

f. Students at selected levels work with Accelerated Reader. This gives the teachers a method to check the comprehension success of students with pre-selected books. The 6th grade students work with Accelerated Math. It helps them to drill the concepts from their math classes.

g. Students at the 4-8 levels use the internet as a research tool. They are taught the rudiments of the research process and how to evaluate information that they find on the internet.

h. The middle school has a technology lab that teaches science principles using technology resources. These principles include health and fitness, computer aided drafting, computer graphics and animation, electricity & electronics, environment & ecology, flight technology, information technology, lasers, material processing, research & development, robotics, structural engineering, and virtual architecture.

 

 

Last Updated March 3, 2003