Tech Committee Members 2012- 2013
Downs, John [JDowns@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Basham, Stacy R [srbasham@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Dipiazza, Julia A [adipiazz@wsfcs.k12.nc.us] not present
Hatch, Cynthia F [cfhatch@wsfcs.k12.nc.us] not present
Fought, Donald G [dfought@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Mabry II, Eugene L [emabry@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Speziale, Megan R [mrspeziale@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Suttles Jr, Ronald A [rasuttles@wsfcs.k12.nc.us] not present
Kilgore, Rita [rkilgore@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Wells, Jennifer P [jpwells@wsfcs.k12.nc.us] not present
Sigmon, John C [jsigmon2@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Turner, Lisa [lturner@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
Lisa Turner began the meeting with a description of the needs for the media center.
- Circulation is up with our student numbers approaching 1300
- Turner has put in a request to administration for $5000 to be used for book purchases
- That's just $3.61 per child
- Focus of the request is on fiction
- "Series holes" are horrible and waiting lists for certain books continue to grow
- Sources of library funds? There are no dedicated sources of money, no line item in the school's budget for the Library
- People think book fair all goes to library when in fact it goes to PTSA, and it is up to their discretion on how to use those monies.
- Turner feels spending on books needs to be a priority and is asking for members support
Pod Sound system:
- Are people using the microphones?
- We recognize that the sound is bad out there, but do they help?
- Turner--research shows that the sound amplification systems enhance student learning
- Sigmon/Downs to talk with POD folks
- Cost is ~$750.00/room
- Turner spoke of making the Media Center a 21st century learning center where access to technology if not limited to the lab, where teachers can group students with or without technology at tables or in what is now the lab area
- Media center could be reconfigured somewhat with more use of shelves in the back if we go to the laptop model
- Perhaps we could start with 10 laptops to give us a complete class set of computers and then hopefully build from there
- As it is now there are really only 22 working computers in the lab area, and this does not accommodate most classes of up to 30 or more students
- If we went with the Lenovo laptop lease program currently being offered by the school system, we would be looking at ~$200/year/laptop, so ten laptops would be roughly $2000 per year over three year--not bad.
- Everyone felt this should be a priority high on the list
- We are looking at Three main rooms (601, 701 & 801), with following costs:
- Flat screen TV with mount: ~1500.00
- Computer: $750
- Document Camera: ~ 600.00
- Wireless Tablet?: $350.00
- Total Cost per room: ~$3500.00 with installations
- What about ISS? Would it be used?
- Could we use any equipment from science rooms if they get new equipment?
- Members felt this should be a priority as well since it affects students everyday and learning.
- It's also a discussion with scheduling and data management in terms of putting more than 24 students in those rooms? (Kilgore, Dr. Daniels)
- For people that work on their computers all day long (more so than teachers), this can be a big issue
- Right now both Media circulation desk computer and assistant media circulation is one of the oldest computers in the building --over ten years old!
- Office computers are the third generation IBM computers and the third oldest computers in the building
- Example--Deb Neal as curriculum coordinator crunches numbers and data all day and this is an increasingly troublesome issue for her and others in the office as well. (works on Office 2003 and windows XP)
- Speaking of computers, Mr. Mabry offered one computer his area to anyone who might need it. It is one of the older computers in the building too, and while Downs appreciated the offer, we are in fact working on "surplusing" many of those computers.
- We thought of perhaps asking teachers if anyone might/could use it as even a word processing station?
**Next meeting set for November 15th **if needed**
if members could please talk to their "constituents" and find out thoughts on these priorities and whether or not they approve or have ideas for other things that should be on the list.
This was the agenda item list that Downs sent out prior to the meeting:
Priority list for investment in technology infrastructure for the future. Thoughts?
1) EC rooms (601.701 & 801) have all expressed interest in updating their old technology. Those rooms would need a modified classroom solution (TV, doc camera, and PC ~ $3000/room to update) ISS?
2) Media center and moving away from the lab situation in there (old computers on the verge of death) to more of a laptop open space type of set up where technology and work are in a more seamless integration and not so much a "lab" (COSTS ~ 200 /YEAR/LAPTOP if we do the lease option)
3) More sound systems for the PODS (bad sound in those rooms ~ $1000/room)
4) Updating some admin computers (such as the office and media center) These computers get a tremendous amount of use and have greater needs than average classroom computer (cost ~ $200/computer/year with lease deal)
5) CTE—providing additional modern computers for classes above 24? They are only given 24 CTE computers but some classes have more than 24, and extra kids are on old computers.
6) Others Priorities?
7) Instructional Technology Issues?
Future happenings:
· 4 Laptop carts coming around the first of the year
· Additional classroom solutions (pending)
· More laptop carts?
· Teacher laptop refresh
Other issues (support) on the horizon…
· Laptops for 8th grade science. This will occupy Downs’ time for up to a month getting them setup and ready to use (labor intensive)
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