Technology Inventory

Hardware & Peripherals:

Currently, I am Teacher Assisting at Creekside Middle School which is located within the Zeeland Public Schools School District. I have 8th grade mathematics students who have a 1-to-1 technology based policy at the school. This means that each student from elementary to high school is given an iPad in which they are able to take back and forth from school to home on a daily basis. The teacher that I have been placed with has utilized this opportunity in which she has decided to teach from a "flipped classroom" perspective. This is working absolutely brilliantly with the students, which will be elaborated on periodically during this blog. In regards to specific hardware, within the classroom we have a main computer (PC), an Epson projector with smart-board, ELMO document camera, portable (wireless) document camera, and iPads. Students typically do not have and/or use cell phones within this classroom because they have other means of technology to utilize throughout the course of the hour in which they are in. It is promoted and mandated for the students to use technology either individually or in groups (some naturally forget their iPads or need to charge them) in such a way that the lesson plans incorporate technology on most days. This is because the students have the means to use technology and it is beneficial to use the technology to "see" the mathematics in a new way that they may not have seen during the notes/instruction. 

Infrastructure: 

Seeing as the students are able to have iPads throughout the school day, a wireless internet connection is needed throughout the district, which is provided. The students also have a media center in which they have a section of computers for the students to use if they do not have their iPads or if they need a more structured hardware type of equipment. When working with the students on their iPads, I have seen that the firewall is rather strict based on the "hacks" that the school has endured over the past few years. It is so strict that I can't even connect my own computer (PC) to the guest network because of the massive amount of issues that have arose in the past. The only way that one, such as a guest like myself, is able to connect to the wireless internet is having an Apple based product which includes Macs, iPads, etc. Luckily enough, I have my own iPad in which I am able to connect to the network so that I am able to utilize the same programs that the students are using within the classroom to solve their problems that are being assigned. The IT Department are the ones who fix the issues that students/teachers/admin have if another teacher/admin in the building is unable to fix. The specific teacher that I am assisting for uses technology so much that many come to her to see if she is able to fix their issues. She is considered to be one of the individuals that others "seek out" with their technology issues so she is even paid a little extra by taking upon this role within the building. If there is an issue with a student's iPad I typically see that the student is given a "loaner" or they have their's returned within the next few days so that they are able to keep using it within the classroom. 

Software/Electronic Subscriptions: 

One of the main software programs that the students use for my given classroom is called Edmodo. This is a platform in which students are able to communicate with teachers, students, etc. about homework or work that they may have missed or simply just being able to ask a question to their given teacher. Within the classroom, we use Edmodo to post notes for students to use since the classroom is a Flipped Classroom or even if we are assigning a few problems over the course of a weekend. This is a great way to communicate with students such that they get notifications on their iPad and they are able to log in and locate their homework/notes/etc. on the daily. We also have textbooks that stay within the classroom because the students have eBook versions as well located on their iPads. The textbook company that we are using is called Holt and we have both the Algebra and Geometry books within the classroom that I have been placed within. I use these resources for some of the lesson plans that I have created thus far for the students. My Coordinating Teacher and I also use iBook to create notes for the students since they are doing them at home before they come to class the next day. We also use free online programs such as Geogebra, Desmos, Socrative, Quizziz, etc. to create activities for the students and allow the students to explore by using these programs. We are able to create activities ranging from small (warm-ups) to whole quizzes in which they are able to just simply take them on their iPad and submit them electronically. I have realized how many positives are coming from technology especially when you are using a Flipped Classroom design. Mathematics is a very hard concept in which technology is used for because some of the design process takes an insane amount of time. But, there are more and more resources that are being created and implemented to help with this and I believe that the technology implementation is key for students and development learning techniques within the 21st century.