Students, teachers go cyber surfing

By TIFFANNIE BOND

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Technology is growing every day, and every day students type, point and click their way into the future.

The Clark County School District, in partnership with the Public Education Foundation, is keeping up with the speed of the cyber world by putting today's latest technology in the hands of elementary, middle and high school students and their teachers.

During American Education Week this past week, staff from the district's Technology Development Services department visited valley schools to showcase technological advances in education such as online video and audio chats; student-compiled educational Web pages; an online, high-school level health course and a system that allows principals and administrators to assess teachers' computer competency through surveyed data entry.

Instead of celebrating American Education Week with signs of appreciation, those in the department decided three years ago to connect the week with the Comdex convention, which brings thousands of computer-minded people to the city every November.

Although technology was highlighted during this week, it contained the same number of programs as any other week in the year, said Karlene Lee, department director.

Unlike in generations past, teachers are learning alongside their students. Teachers new to the Internet, e-mail and miscellaneous advances -- such as video conferencing -- are learning from their students.

"The children, in most cases, are catching on more than the teachers are," Lee said.

For the most part, the department develops interests of instructors even mildly familiar with technology, giving them the outlet to teach what they've learned.

"We're working with that person who's worked with computers, who knows how to point and click and wants to take it to the next level," Lee said.

Through 39 courses at the Online University, teachers can keep up with the times by updating their education while using the technology "not as a fancy pencil, but to use it to enrich what (they) do in the classroom," Lee said.

As far as the children are concerned, their education rides on a progressing technological wave that's moving into schools. Even the oldest schools are being equipped with materials to help them stay on track with the rest of the school district.

"All of the schools have the capabilities in some way," said Tom Zimmerman, one of eight teachers on special assignment with Technology Development Services. "We're very close to 100 percent of all schools in Clark County being connected."

Technology makes the world smaller, and in doing that it gives children glimpses of places -- and people in those places -- they would've never experienced before the means were available.

For instance, students have chatted with school children across the world and traded cultural differences, experiences and languages via the Internet.

Because of the wave's ever-evolving nature, those in the department have to be abreast of the latest cyber changes and developments and approach them as necessary. That education is gained in the same fashion as the students' worldly knowledge -- by using the international passport at their fingertips. Conversing with industry professionals also keeps the information flowing.

"All of us have dozens of people out there in the world doing the same things (we are)," Zimmerman said.

"Ideas (for further development) are not a problem," Lee added.

Although there is no empirical proof technology increases standardized test scores, children's creativity, collaboration skills and the ability to gather and share information are strengthened -- things not measured with standardized tests, Lee said.TECHNOLOGY FACTS

The following facts were given by the Clark County School District's Technology Development Services department involving some of the programs facilitated by the department throughout the 1999-2000 school year.

--In 1993, there were 300 e-mail accounts registered on CCSD's Interact System. There were 14,500 teachers, administrators and faculty members online last school year.

--There are 48 paperless schools in the school district. Memos and other notifications are sent via e-mail or on community intranet pages only those in the school can access.

--The Online Concert Series has streamed video of 25 selected student band, orchestra and choir concerts involving 3,000 students.

-- TIFFANNIE BOND