Chesterfield schools staff urged to bridge tech divide with students
Published: August 14, 2009
If tweeting is an indication that you keep up with the latest technology, many school employees who attended yesterday's annual Chesterfield Information Technology Expo need to catch up.
Chesterfield Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome surveyed the audience at the Cosby High School's auditorium on the use of technology tools. Keying their responses on portable, word-processing keyboards, responders revealed that most of them don't use Twitter or blog, but they own iPods and use Facebook.
Newsome is setting an example. He recently started tweeting and has been blogging about school issues for three years.
He told the audience that technology users are divided into natives -- those who are "born" into the technology -- and immigrants -- those who have to assimilate. "That's probably where most of us are," he told the audience.
As natives, students are savvy users of technology tools, and school employees have to be up to date to be able to give students what they need, Newsome said.
"When they come to school, we have to make sure that kids don't slow down to access information," he said.
About 1,500 employees attended the expo, said Lynda Gillespie, director of instruction technology. The event featured vendors, demonstrations and health organizations offering information, screening and free massages.
"We have about 60 sessions, everything ranging from basic kinds of computer work for those folks who don't use a computer regularly, all the way up to some very high-end and technical software and hardware," Gillespie said.
Schools need to capitalize on what students already know and do at home as far as technology, and then translate those skills into what students need to learn in the classroom, she said.
"Most of our teachers feel confident in using the technology themselves, but they don't feel as confident in using the technology with students," she said. "That's what we really try to work on with our technology integrators, to get people out into our buildings to work with teachers to make sure that that technology is naturally integrated."
Gillespie said she started a technology leadership academy two years ago, which includes principals, assistant principals and instructional leaders.
"They learn to become technology leaders," she said. "We really try to determine, 'How can I make my school more agreeable to using technology? How can we get more technology in there?'
"They're my allies in moving the whole school division forward in the use of technology."
Patricia Putney, a fourth-grade teacher at O.B. Gates Elementary School, said during a break that technology offers great possibilities for instruction. Last year, she had her students videotape their classmates singing for a reading class. "They love it," she said.
Newsome showed a video where students created podcasts to teach concepts to others using graphics and hands-on activities.
"It is where kids are doing and actually applying and sharing with others that they're maximizing their ability to remember what they've learned," he said.
Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or
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Reader Reactions
As mentioned in this article, Dr. Newsome illustrated his belief that technology engages students and promotes deeper learning by showing a delightful video podcast during his keynote address. In this student-produced video, students used animated clipart and narration to teach math concepts using analogies and clever memory tips.
I don’t think Dr. Newsome or the article made it clear that the video was created here, by Chesterfield Co. students, after being shown how to use digital equipment by one of the school system’s own instructional technology integrators. I believe it’s important to give credit to the district’s teachers and integrators—not to mention students—who have already been engaged in the use of technology for learning. There have been technology pioneers in the district for many years who have remained largely unnoticed. Now that it is becoming fashionable to talk the talk of technology in the classroom, it may appear as if CCPS is just getting wind of this trend. It is not new in the district.
Originally organized over 6 years ago, the district’s innovative team of technology integrators, grouped by content area and grade level, serve the district’s 64 schools. They are certified teachers (not IT personnel) who are recognized for their successful classroom experience and additionally trained in technology. Their mission is to train teachers and model lessons for them, supporting teachers as they learn how to integrate technology such as podcasts into their lessons to reach the so-called “digital natives” in modern classes.
At the end of the last school year (2008-09), the number of integrators was reduced by 25% due to budget cuts. Fifteen integrators were removed from their position, leaving a team of 40 to serve the district’s 1,200+ teachers.
This fact was not mentioned, in spite of the strong push for technological progress by Dr. Newsome and his promotion of the use of technology in the classroom. In fact, it is ironic that technology integrators were not mentioned at all during his keynote address promoting technology integration!
It may be that he is overlooking the treasures in his own back yard. The integrators are already doing—and have been doing—what he talked about doing. They are eager to take technology to the next steps. If he thinks teachers are going to do this on their own without integrators to help them learn the ropes, he may ask himself what evidence he has in hand to support that. Out of 38 responders in his impromptu audience survey, only 6 use twitter. A similar small number blog regularly. It looks like wishing won’t make it happen.
Dr. Newsome’s admirable and progressive view that CCPS needs to embrace the future and promote the use of technology is just buzzword rhetoric if he doesn’t back it up with trained personnel and action. I hope he will keep exploring the possibilities, and begin appreciating and promoting what’s already in place in his own back yard!
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