One of the things Raymond teachers are very grateful about (besides all the fabulous students and wonderful families!) is the amount of technology in our schools. Nearly all of our classrooms have a Smartboard (more about that later); all schools have a computer lab; and we have portable carts of ipads and laptops that teachers may sign out for classroom use.
First a little bit about technology in schools. We are way past the point where anyone can say "this is just a fad". Technology is around us wherever we go: everything from our cars to televisions to scoring at the bowling alley! (I remember when the bowling alley opened in Raymond and one of my former students was hired there. I asked him how he was able to get this job that all the high school kids wanted. He said it was because he was "good with computers".) So, it is important that we help our students with those things they might not learn on their own: responsible use of computers and the internet, internet safety, legitimate research sites, and creating word documents with correct grammar and spelling. As for the classroom, using technology often enhances a lesson and engages our students.
If you don't know about Smartboards, these are not the old blackboards with chalk dust flying everywhere (or even the newer whiteboards with markers). These boards are interactive and can be used for any subject matter. If it is on the internet (and what isn't?) or is a particular lesson made by a teacher, it can be projected on the Smartboard. I have seen students doing math lessons, manipulating letters to make words, watching history in action (both recreations and actual), and visiting a foreign country on a "field trip". I have also witnessed a tornado, seen microscopic organisms, and watched a youtube video made by one of our own teachers! I have also seen students do their own presentations on a Smartboard. The possibilities are only limited by one's imagination. We are grateful to the citizens of Raymond for their continued support of technology in our schools- the students of Raymond are certainly the better for this initiative.
