Technopalooza hits Chisum ISD

Posted on Mar 8, 2012 in Chisum, CISD by eParisExtra

Technology is all around us — at work, at home, even in the car. To show the community the sort of impact technology makes in the classroom, Chisum Independent School District held a Technology Showcase on Thursday.

Or, as the teachers liked to call it, “Technopalooza.”

“They’re taxpayers. They’re paying for this. Sometimes, you like to see where your money’s going,” Casey Rogers, the elementary school’s technology coordinator said.

“As parents, they should be aware of what opportunities we’re giving their children. Our vision is to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s world. The world is digital. What were w doing to prepare the children for that?”

Teachers and students at Chisum Elementary School held presentations in various classrooms to show off their techno-savvy.  Topics included:

• Apple iPads, which the schools use for a variety of subjects, including organizing lessons, schedules, and information; taking pictures and videos of classroom activities; and provide extra practice on academic skills.
• Dance mats similar to the game Dance Dance Revolution, which can be used in reviews and extra practice as a more kinesthetic means of learning a variety of subjects.
• Skype, a web conferencing software that can be used to help students connect with others around the world.
• Interactive tablets and smart boards, which allow teachers and students to interact with a single computer via wireless technology and a projector.
• Game Star Mechanic, a Web site that allows students to create educational games. CISD fifth graders are in a national competition that will land free laptops for the winning school.
• The use of Flip Cameras, QR codes and other new forms of technology.

The middle and high school presentations included multimedia classes, mobile labs, calculator and smart board interaction and more.

They even covered software packages available to students, such as Office 2010.

“It’s important to the district that we have the most current version so the kids are ready for what they will see when they leave here,” Rogers said.