Technology Integration
Technology has become an essential part of learning, and the Grinnell-Newburg School District is committed to integrating technology into the learning experiences of our students as a tool to access content.
William Gruman is our Technology Integrationist. He received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, Certified 5-12 Math and 5-12 Physics, and his M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in Instructional Technology. He is Project Lead the Way certified and Apple Teacher Certified.
Our Teacher in-service work includes a strong focus on technology integration. It includes department-specific work at the high school and middle school, workshop-style sessions at the elementary, after-school opportunities, and Coaching through the instructional coaches we have in each building. In addition, the G-N Schools have contracted with an Apple Learning Specialist who is facilitating many sessions this year. The district routinely supports teachers to bring back skills learned from technology conferences in the area, including the ITEC conference in the fall, the AEA267 Learning with Technology Conference in the winter, and the Iowa 1:1 Conference in the spring.
Apple Vanguard Training is a cohort of up to 20 members who meet for at least 24 contact hours to complete immersive, engaging lesson activities that can be carried into the classroom. These include learning about the extensive capabilities of the software built into all student and teacher devices. It also includes work with both iPads and laptops. The cohort is made up of Grinnell-Newburg teachers, leaders, and support personnel who are dedicated to the promotion of integrating technology into the classroom. It allows for participants to deepen their knowledge around the Apple OS X and iOS operating systems and Apple creativity and productivity Apps. The goal is that each participant will go forward as a model and a resource for not only their campus or department, but also for the entire district.
Our District currently has 2 different cohorts;
Teachers Cohort with 20 teachers from every building in the District
Coaches Cohort with Technology Integrationist Bill Gruman and our Instructional Coaches
Our District currently has 2 different cohorts;
Teachers Cohort with 20 teachers from every building in the District
Coaches Cohort with Technology Integrationist Bill Gruman and our Instructional Coaches
Additional instruction available to our teacher includes Apple Teacher Certification, Apple Professional Academy, and Apple Distinguished Educator, as well as Google Education Certifications.
Our technology rollout this year, with an iPad assigned to every K-2 student, offers incredible opportunities for transformational learning. There are many examples of great work going on across the District, using these tools to improve and enhance instruction.
Apple TV's have recently been added to our classrooms, giving our teachers the freedom to move around their classroom, wherever they want to be while teaching. Hand-in-hand with our Apple TV's is the implementing of Apple Classroom, which is an important classroom engagement application. It allows teachers to efficiently run their classroom and help our students while effectively integrating technology. The classroom iPads are a great learning tool and include many means for students to demonstrate learning.
Technology Integration continues to evolve as technology itself evolves. We are working to ensure all our teachers are equipped with great ideas and better understanding of how to most effectively use technology in the classroom to enhance the learning experience for each of our students.
Want to keep up on what is happening in technology integration? View Mr. Gruman's blog here, or email him at bill.gruman@grinnell-k12.org.