Technology plan proposed for Chesterfield schools

In a proposed five-year technology master plan for Chesterfield County schools, all teachers and administrators would receive netbooks, smaller and inexpensive laptop computers.

Teachers would be required to integrate technology -- already in the curriculum -- into their lessons.

They would have the opportunity to create blogs to ask questions to elicit staff discussions about school-related issues. Wireless services would be installed in all schools.

The 2010-14 proposed technology plan, presented to the board recently, would cost $13 million.

"Funding was based on funding from the last five-year plan," said Lynda Gillespie, director of technology. "We were able to do more with less."

Gillespie added that because of the budget crunch, the plan includes implementing a competitive grant process to purchase innovative technology tools. Technology replacement schedules would be extended, she said.

Providing netbooks -- small laptop computers for Web-based applications -- to all teachers would cost about $1.7 million.

School officials are promising additional touch-screen computers in the schools and classrooms, as well as round-the-clock access to information for teachers and students. The district is beginning to roll out a portal that would act like a giant blackboard with everything students and teachers need, Gillespie said. The portal would be accessible from home, she said.

"There's that interconnectivity, that it's allowed both at work and at home," she said. "It allows us to extend the school day without extending the time in school."

In addition to what schools already have, one cart with 30 computers would be deployed per school and per grade level, and three computers per classroom would be installed because teachers have said that sometimes they can't get their students to a computer lab, Gillespie said.

Two interactive boards and 15 digital cameras would be provided per school.

The plan also calls for eighth-graders to be assessed on their knowledge of technology applications, problem solving and critical thinking.

School Board members were impressed with the proposed plan and said it would take the district in the right path.

"I think we're at an interesting conversion point where the technology meets the current needs" of the school district, David Wyman said. "I think this is a really neat time to have this technology plan."

The board is expected to vote on the proposal in December.

Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or .