District 196 Technology

Access to Computer Workstations
More than 1200 classroom workstations were added to our classrooms from 1997 to 2000. We currently have a districtwide ratio of one computer for every six students. In addition to the many classroom workstations available, all schools have at least one computer lab. Typical applications for all classroom workstations include AppleWorks, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, FoolProof, At Once, Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Many workstations include CD ROM drives with a wide variety of instructional CDs.

Local and Wide Area Networks
All school and district offices have a local area network (LAN) that provides computer connectivity for each classroom, media center and office. These school-based local area networks allow file and resource sharing, and access to the district's electronic mail system. All schools and district offices are connected to the districtwide area network (WAN), providing access to the Internet from each classroom, access to districtwide electronic mail and Internet electronic mail accounts, and access to the media center card catalog system.

Voice Mail
The district's voice mail system is provided for all teachers and support staff. In addition to extensive internal use by our over 3,500 voice mail users, many parents contact and communicate with teachers via voice mail. Several schools utilize the Homework Hotline feature of this system.

District World Wide Web Server
The District's Technology Support staff installed the district's World Wide Web server the summer of 1996 to provide an effective communication vehicle for district departments and schools. Pertinent information regarding school and department services, schedules, programs and opportunities is shared via the web server.

Productivity Software
Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Outlook are used as the email, calendaring and scheduling software. For all administrative workstations, Microsoft Office 97/2000 is currently installed. For all instructional workstations, Microsoft Works 4.0, AppleWorks and/or Microsoft Office are currently installed.

Benefits for Students
Enhanced student learning is the ultimate goal of all recent technology efforts. On a daily basis, students are benefiting in a wide variety of areas:

• Enhanced access to information from school computers and telecommunication networks allows students to spend less time accessing information and more time on higher order thinking skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and problem solving.
• Greater technology access allows students to use the communication and collaboration tools of the 21st century necessary in today's and tomorrow's workforce.
• Opportunities to design and create multimedia presentations and reports allow students to become architects of their own learning process.
• Greater access to basic software applications for word processing, database, desktop publishing and spreadsheets allow students and teachers to truly integrate these technologies into daily learning.
• More focused and engaged learning is the ultimate result for students as the classroom walls come down and greater access to electronic resources is made available.

For more information, contact the Technology Support Department at 651-423-7793 or email Edward Heier.