St. John Bosco School Technology

Technology

St. John Bosco School Technology

As you walk the halls of St. John Bosco School, the learning environment will look very different from the educational environment of days gone by. On a typical day, the school hums with activity. In addition to using pens and pencils, textbooks and blackboards, teachers and their students will be engaged in learning activities which use various forms of technology as teaching and learning tools.

In 1997 when our school wrote our five year improvement plan, a major goal was to update our technology program. Each year since, a technology committee, comprised of Father Dave, Mrs. Jacobs, parents, and teachers, has met to review our program and to expand our technology as needed. As a result, the technology at St. John Bosco is state of the art and we are truly preparing our students to live and work in the technological society of the 21st century.

In 2002 all of the school’s Mac computers were replaced with IBM’s. Currently, there are 27 IBM computers in our computer lab and an IBM computer in each of the 1st through 8th grade classrooms. All of the computers are networked and are linked to the internet with a T-1 line which offers almost instantaneous internet access. In addition, the school has purchased two wireless or mobile carts. Each cart is equipped with 13 laptops for use in the classroom. Our latest addition to our technology is three Smartboards, which are interactive, electronic whiteboards. When connected to a computer, the Smartboard becomes a huge monitor and teachers and students control computer applications through touch. Our kindergarten classrooms have eight computers in each classroom and share a Smartboard.

Every day brings new technology into our world. Often it is difficult to keep up. Recently, St. John Bosco School was asked by WVIZ to be part of a pilot program, Chalkwaves, and we gladly accepted! We were honored to be the only private school asked to be part of this project and we joined the Warrensville Heights City Schools and the Rocky River City Schools in this endeavor. Through the Chalkwaves program teachers will be able to access videos and video clips through the computer. Used in conjunction with the Smartboard, this technology further enhances the educational experiences for our students.

So what does technology education look like in the classroom? Well, it could be eighth graders using laptops for research or it might be third graders presenting research they’ve collected about Native Americans in a power point presentation on a Smartboard. Our first and second graders have used the Smartboard and the internet to “play” interactive games that reinforce concepts taught in math and reading. In art class, Mrs. Kall has used the Smartboard to expose her students to religious icons and other religious art work. If you visited the computer lab during a sixth grade class, you would see students learning keyboarding skills. Mrs. Marolt, in the fifth grade, has even used an inspirational internet site with the Smartboard for a prayer service. The possibilities are endless!

The teachers at our school have been challenged to change their teaching styles and have responded by integrating technology into their curriculum. Our students have been challenged to rely on their teachers less and to often times be responsible for their own learning. And as a result, our students are using technology daily as part of their educational experience and are being fully prepared to be lifelong learners in the 21st century!