Recap of Budget Workshop 11/15/2011-Part 2: Electronics in Classrooms

“Are we preparing students for our age or for theirs?”

At the November 15^th School Board Workshop the Executive Staff along with School Board Attorney Wes Bradshaw provided the School Board with information about social media, emerging technologies and the newly installed student wireless network that will be coming online at the middle and high schools in Citrus County.

Citrus School district along with districts around the state and country are working to meet the challenges of providing students with better and more relevant instructions through the use of technology. At the same time the board is developing rules, guidelines and policies to provide students, teachers and staff with positive, educational and safe environments.

Using portions of Citrus’s “Race to the Top” grant funds the district has installed a wall to wall wireless internet network for students to us with their computer and handheld devices.  This network will allow students to access a filtered safe internet connection with an individual login and password.  Students can then use laptops, netbooks, iPads, tablets and other devices to take class notes, write papers, research data, read textbooks and much more.  This program is referred to as BYOT (“Bring Your Own Technology”) to school.  Now that some of the handheld technology like Tablets have gotten to a price of less than $75 (i.e. Androids) students and parents have been asking for the availability for them to be able to use BYOT in our schools and to have access to the internet at the same time.  In addition, beginning next school year in Citrus County, students, parents and teachers will be using a new computer district wide system that will include being able to access single login grades, planning, and an attendance recording system, called, Skyward.  This new student network will provide a way for students to have access to their grades and lesson plans LIVE.  Parents will also have the availability of checking grades, homework lesson plans and attendance anytime, anywhere

At the workshop Mr. Bradshaw updated the board on current legal issues that we need to consider when developing policies and guidelines.

I am excited and encouraged by the plans and directions our district is taking and I believe it will help to continue to keep Citrus County in the forefront as the “High Performance District” that we currently are.

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