The West New York School District - Giving Importance to Educational Technology

School districts in United States handle publicA software program called SERTS works in
education of all government-funded schools.requisitions, orders and inventory that supports an
Among the many school districts in America thaton-line survey system and its website. The site
gives importance on educational technology is theincludes updated educational information and uses
West New York School District. They believe thatalso uses ConnectEd to send personalized
it is a cumulative process that helps studentsmessages to the parents, staff, faculty, and
achieve their fullest potentials in the IT world.students. The district facilitates
They believe that educational technology willtelecommunications and wireless network to over
attract many resources, opportunities and good2,200 computers and laptops for the students
communications in the local and globaland faculties. All the employees have e-mail
communities. They are committed in preparing theaccounts that connect through a Microsoft
students to work in the ever changingOutlook Web Access web mail.
technological pace and growth with regard to allResources and Implementation
aspects of life. They see to it that all theStudents from kindergarten to the sixth grade
students, teachers and staff are competentare equipped with computers. A formalized
enough to use IT tools, to communicate well andcomputer instruction is administered for the first
solve delicate problems easily.graders. They are scheduled to use the available
West New York District's Technology Planresources in their media centers or computer
The district's technology 2007-2010 plan is anlaboratories. The class can entirely use laptop
approved document wherein the members of thecomputers to integrate technology in classroom
West New York School System are committeddiscussions. All the fourth year students are
to meet the needs of the urban studentevaluated for computer literacy.
population. It aspires to enhance each child's loveMiddle school students such as seventh and eighth
of learning, to potentially develop a feeling ofgrades have state-of-the-art classrooms with
self-confidence and to help recognize the positivecomputers, large screen TVs, streaming videos,
nature of their cultural diversity.VCR and DVD. The student's media centers are
The success of the plan relies on the systemequipped with wireless laptop computers,
implementation and equipments to be used. Themulti-media projectors and digital cameras in their
district's technology infrastructure includes 13 siteslarge computer laboratories.
that act as the Network Operations Center. TheHowever, the high school students have eight
25MB internet connections and 10/100 Ethernetcomputer labs, a portable wireless laptop station
Cisco switches are connected in rooms toand an Interactive Television classroom with an
accomplished data and voice management. Theextensive range of elective computer courses.
district also acquires an AS/400 mid-rangeThe students are given opportunities to enroll in
computer in used by the central office businessthe Intermediate Computer Applications to
department to handle the district's humanreceive Microsoft Certification.
resources and financial management.