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Lauren Gilbert
School Technology Survey
• School: Uintah Elementary School
• Principal: Chelsea Malouf
• Teachers and grade levels:
Mrs. Jensen – First grade
Mrs. Briggs-Cook - First grade
Ask the teachers/principal their perspective on current and future use of technology in the
classroom:
Both the principal and the teachers had a similar view on the current and future use of
technology in the classroom. The principal is trying to stay up-to-date on any new technology
that is available to the schools. The principal and the teachers agree that making sure they can
offer new technology keeps the school modern which is important for the future of the students.
They stated that the world is all about technology so the importance of students to have access to
technology is crucial to their future. Using technology at an early age is important because they
are so open to new ideas and catch on so quickly to the new and changing ideas.
Does the school have its own website? If so who maintains the site what is the URL?
Uintah Elementary does have a web site. The web site is unit.slccschools.org. The
person who maintains the site is the Librarian, her name is Donene Polson.
Do teachers at the school have class blogs? If so who has access to them?
Some of the teachers at Uintah utilize a blog. Having a blog is optional for the teachers.
The parents, faculty, and students all have access to the blogs. Most of the information that is
essential for parents and students is on the web site so some teachers don’t feel that a blog is
necessary.
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Is there a school technology supervisor? Name?
The Librarian Donene Polson is the school technology supervisor.
Do all the classrooms have computers in them? Explain what you find:
Each classroom at Uintah Elementary has at least two computers in each classroom.
They also use a smart board. The students are allowed to help with the smart board. This was
interesting to me, I haven’t seen a smart board before. In the class I visited the smart boards
were used almost the entire time I was there. This teacher has the students using the computers
and smart boards as part of their routine.
Is there a computer lab/s? If so how is it used and by whom?
Uintah Elementary has a computer lab. There is a computer for every two students in the
computer lab. Anyone is able to use the computer lab as long as they are scheduled. The teacher
is responsible for scheduling time for the class in the computer lab.
What kinds of computers are in the school – PC’s, Laptops, Mac’s etc.? Overhead projection
equipment etc.:
Each class uses a smart board. The school also has PC’s and notebook computers. I
didn’t see an overhead projector in the classrooms, mainly because the teachers all use the smart
board system.
What software programs are regularly used by teachers?
The teachers use the software program Utah writes. They use this program almost
exclusively.
Can/do teachers use the Internet in their instruction? Detail findings.
The teachers at Uintah are encouraged to and do use the Internet in their instruction. All
the teachers utilize the smart board in their classroom for all different subjects. They also use the
internet to teach the students how research ideas and projects. They encourage the students to
learn how the internet works and how to use it effectively. The teachers feel this is an important
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skill for the students to develop. They feel this will help the students be ahead of “the game”
rather than trying to catch up as they get older.
How does a teacher get further training to use technology?
The teachers further their training for developing technology by enrolling in seminars and
classes. The principal also is able to have individuals come to the school and teach them the new
and upcoming advances in technology. This helps keep the teachers aware of what the students’
will be facing in the future.
See if you can get a sense of the % of students who might have a computer in their home:
I asked a few individuals and they were all fairly certain that at least 90% of their
students have a computer in their home.
Did you observe students using computer based technology? If so detail what you observed.
I observed the students using the smart boards. The students were moving from page to
page and highlighting the information that was needed. Because I had never seen the smart
boards before I was amazed at how fast and easy the students made it look! It was pretty
amazing how technology has grown over the years.
Other:
I found that Uintah Elementary was willing to show us their school and how they use
technology. The teachers and employees at Uintah were very friendly and were willing to talk
with me about the information I was looking for. They seemed to be very knowledgeable about
technology and as a whole they felt it is a very important part of the academic process. The
teachers, Ms. Jensen and Mrs. Briggs-Cook were both very welcoming and willing to show me
what technology they were using and how to use it. There wasn’t a class scheduled for the
computer lab when I was there so I wasn’t able to see it in action. The set up in the computer lab
was nice and appeared to be a great resource for the students. Being able to observe how skilled
the students’ were with the technology they were exposed to was exciting for me. It was very
apparent how important teaching and staying current with new technology is for students and
teachers. The world is all about technology and the new advances. These skills will be important
in every aspect of lives and our students’ lives.