ODYSSEYWARE

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which helped the country stay out of a recession, many schools are receiving funding for new computers and technology.  States such as New Hampshire, in turn, are using the funding to purchase those resources now to shore up their technology and acquisition projects and, as a result, transform their classrooms.  According to the Concord Monitor, schools in Pittsfield, New Hampshire used more than $500,000 to purchase computers.

“(The grants) are a huge shot in the arm for the districts that got the awards,” Cathy Higgins, a state education technology consultant, said. In the districts’ grant proposals, “we hoped that they would be laying the groundwork for significant transformation in their schools.”

Pittsfield plans to use the money to provide a digital learning environment in the classrooms of eight teachers, elementary school Principal Doug Kilmister said. Their classrooms will have digital cameras and interactive whiteboards on which students can buzz in their answers to polling or multiple choice questions.

The exciting part of this report is that these classrooms will be staffed with teachers who can use the curriculum and technology tools in creative ways.  Too often, technology monies go to classrooms where students are just expected to “surf” the internet, generally leaving the technologies unused or underutilized.  With this acquisition, however, a real step in the direction of incorporating technology into the broader classroom curriculum framework seems to be afoot.  That’s great news for New Hampshire students!