TECHNOLOGY AT TUSCALOOSA ACADEMY
The Tuscaloosa Academy Technology Initiative was originally developed and presented to the Administration and Board of Trustees in Fall 2006. Our plan was to help provide the equipment and training necessary to meet a variety of teaching, research, and telecommunication needs now and in the future.
The Tuscaloosa Academy Tablet program is the first of its kind in West Alabama. Beginning in the Fall 2008 semester, all students in grades 7 – 11 brought their own Tablet PC's to class every day. A campus-wide wireless network allows our students and teachers to access resources from throughout the school and around the world.
This has lead to a significant transformation of our teaching and learning processes. Our students have grown up in an era of cell phones, iPods, PDA's, and instant web access. For our students, “anytime, anywhere” learning comes naturally. The learning tool of twenty-first century students is the computer. This initiative has not reduced or eliminated the role of the teacher. It has enabled, enriched, and empowered our great teachers to new heights.
The Tablet PC is taken to each class and then it is taken home each night, just like a textbook. Some students are no longer required to purchase a printed form of the text when it is available in a digital format, accessible on their Tablets.
Additionally, many teachers have evolved a course of study that is unique to their class and they have been able to create a course-specific online textbook that incorporates all of their information. This is another unique advantage that TA offers to its teachers and students.
Students are benefitting by taking on increased responsibility for their own learning. Studies have shown that tablet programs often lead to students' showing a better attitude towards school, increased motivation and work habits, and more involvement in the learning process.
(Jeroski, S. (2003). Wireless writing project: School District No. 60 (Peace River North). Research report: Phase II. Horizon Research and Evaluation, Inc. http://www.prn.bc.ca/?page_id=59 )
Knowing that technology is an ever-changing field and that there will always be something new and exciting on the horizon, we felt that it was time for TA to make a move! Our Technology Initiative has been a success, thus reinforcing our belief that students not only need to be ready for total technology integration, but are eager for it.
Wireless networks, laptops, netbooks and tablets are very common, certainly among centers of education, and we should do everything we can to establish ourselves, in the community and the world, as a leader in educational and technological excellence. It is our responsibility to furnish our students with the skills, equipment and motivation to make use of amazing devices that are a relatively recent addition to mainstream teaching and learning.
Questions? If you have questions or would like to post a comment about the TA Tablet program, please visit the TA Tech. Forum or email Matthew von Redlich at mvonredlich@tuscaloosaacademy.org or Tammi Scheiring at tscheiring@tuscaloosaacademy.org