I’ve discovered that a laptop gives me the mobility I need to accomplish more tasks in less time.  I am able to take projects on the road and have them completed when I return back to school.  This provides me more time to take care of teacher and student needs.   I am also able to keep my work organized by having everything digitized and in one place.  Because each teacher has different needs, I frequently have individualized staff development for them.  This is accomplished through breaks that teachers have throughout the day or after school.  My laptop has made this job so much easier because we can meet anywhere on campus using our wireless setup.  Updating our school webpage, conferences, and staff meetings are other ways I utilize this equipment.

Harkers Island Elementary School has greatly benefited from laptops.  We decided as a school to gradually move each teacher forward by supplying them with a tool that would make their teaching career easier.  We raised money to purchase a few laptop tablet PCs for our teachers.  The teachers that were given these to use this year all agree that their teaching responsibilities have become less of a burden with the use of a laptop.  They are able to take things home instead of staying late after school.   

I have thoroughly enjoyed our staff development experiences this year.  I would love for these meetings to continue with more emphasis on sharing of ideas.  I would love to join with other schools and do projects, such as “Non-Face-To-Face”, where students are grouped with others from another school to complete a project only using technology to communicate. 

The project I chose to share is a tribute to our Battle of the Books teams throughout the years.  I used Photo Story and Audacity to combine photos with music and podcasts from team members and the coach, Mrs. Dianne Garner.

It is a rare occasion to walk in a work place today and see no technology available. Are we preparing our future leaders to be ready for that working environment? Are we providing our teachers with skills and equipment that will enhance learning and elevate students’ knowledge?

Our school is working hard to provide each teacher with the skills and equipment that he/she needs to make teaching and learning enjoyable and effective. By providing mounted projectors and other interactive equipment (Smartboards, CPS, Starboards, etc.), teachers and students are experiencing a different approach to the same curriculum. We are just in the beginning phases of this never-ending goal of a “technology rich” school, but we are all seeing positive results. “Doing the same thing the same way will produce the same results.” Our goal is to make sure that we are doing things “differently” enough that the results are reflective of a 21^st Century education.