Gary Moskowitz
District officials are saying there needs to be a better
understanding among students, parents and educators about how money
is being spent on technology and how that technology is to be used
for education.
The school board will meet at 3:30 p.m. today to discuss how they
can help guide a technology master plan committee of parents and
educators toward what Supt. Jim Brown calls more of a "total
ownership" of district computers.
Schools are presently operating with eight or nine generations of
Apple and PC hardware and software, and it isn't always clear exactly
how teachers are supposed to be using the computers for instruction,
Brown said.
"Is technology really making a difference? We think so," Brown
said. "But we need to make sure computer instruction is aligned with
standards. We want to identify our resources, develop a cohesive plan
and narrow the range of how many programs we are using.
"These are important decisions. The cost of technology can get out
of control easily."
A committee of about 20 parents and educators began meeting a year
ago to study technology in Glendale schools, Brown said.
That committee will come back to the board with specific
guidelines on technology spending in the fall, and the board will
establish policy by December, Brown said.
