Technology becomes key to successful classrooms
Jason Hansen, a 9-year-old Arlington district student, has already had lessons on coding — writing computer programs — and regularly shares his work with his teachers via a Google Drive account.
He’s comfortable with technology, having used computers, iPads and other equipment “since I was four,” he said.
Technology has become an increasingly important component in local classrooms, as districts are allocated state money to update their educational tools, and "cloud"-based products make programs more fluid.
"I've found that the kids are much more engaged when you present them with a new piece of technology," said Maureen Frischknecht, Jason's fourth-grade general education teacher at Arlington's Noxon Road Elementary School.
In 2014, voters approved the $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act, which will allow schools to spend their cut on high-tech equipment or to acquire or refurbish space for expanding pre-kindergarten programs, according to Journal archives. Fiscal conservatives questioned whether bonds should be issued for high-tech products with a short lifespan.
The funds are reimbursed to districts, which can purchase equipment like whiteboards, laptops and tablets; install high-speed or wireless Internet; or "high-tech security features" in schools. The money can also be used for building or refurbishing space for prekindergarten programs.
Locally, 16 school districts have been allocated nearly $30.2 million, according to information from the state Education Department. The Poughkeepsie district got the highest amount — $5.7 million — followed by Wappingers at $5.3 million and Arlington at $5.2 million.
Frischknecht and co-teacher Christine LaGuardia have watched their students' "eyes light up" as they started using Google Chromebooks as part of a pilot program. Students regularly use an app called "Plickers" to answer questions. Plickers lets a teacher ask a room full of students a question; students answer by holding up a piece of paper with a unique visual code imprinted on it.
Needless to say, "technology in my classroom has changed a lot over the course of the last 12 years," Frischknecht said. "From how exciting it was to get a dry-erase board to put over your chalkboard, to getting an interactive whiteboard that allows you to hook up a document camera and pull the students' work up immediately."
Daren Lolkema, director of technology for the Wappingers district, said he thinks the "most interesting shift has come from the realization that the hardware no longer matters," thanks to "cloud"-based products like Google Apps and Office 365. "For example, we can now begin a project on an iPad, continue with the writing portion of the project on a Chromebook or laptop, and then complete a project using the powerful video editing tools found on a Mac, all without having to use a thumb drive."
Those abilities have saved the district money and "helped us gain back valuable instruction time," Lolkema added.
The Poughkeepsie City School District this year implemented a $2.8 million Early College and Career High School for Engineering and Technology (E-TECH) program, allowing 50 students to obtain a free associate's degree in engineering from Dutchess Community College while attending high school.
"We've come a long way, overall," said Poughkeepsie school board President Ralph Coates. "We've upgraded technology throughout the district. In all of our school buildings, you'll find new computer labs, computers have been upgraded."
Nina Schutzman: nschutzman@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-451-4518, Twitter: @pojonschutzman