The overall goal of our technical assistance project is to provide quality technical assistance to teachers and increase the frequency of computer use and its instructional value. We also seek to gradually change the climate and level of acceptance of the role of technology in our school as we venture into more advanced systems and higher-level staff development goals. Cumberland County Schools Cumberland County Schools will establish a MIDI Computer Lab at Seventy-First High School. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface lab will provide hands-on experiences for students to create and arrange music and build knowledge and skills in music history, theory, and performance. The primary objective of the DCS project is to improve student writing by using portable keyboards.
Students prepare writing assignments and practice keyboarding at school and home.
Staff development for using the devices will be intricately intertwined with teaching writing strategies and will rely on strong pedagogy. The primary instructional priority for Franklin County Schools' Technology Literacy Challenge Fund project is to create a model for Instructional Technology Facilitators to provide technical assistance directly to classroom teachers. We have also aimed at equipping staff with the tools, hardware, software, skills and experience to implement technology-rich lessons and projects that meet content standards and curricular objectives. Ongoing staff development, instructional and technical support will be provided for the teachers. Student logs and EOG test scores will be evaluated.