School Board Discusses Instructional Technology

By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education discussed the proposed $2.5 million technology budget during its discussions on the proposed 2007-08 school budget tonight.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon has proposed an $89.2 million 2007-08 budget, which is a 8.8 percent, or $7.2 million, increase over the current budget.

The technology budget would include $1.9 million in instructional technology including an increase in 30 Smart Boards throughout the district.

Smart Boards are interactive whiteboards that allow teachers to project a computer or video presentation.

The board focused on the spread of the Smart Boards among the elementary schools so there is parity.

While the number of Smart Boards per classroom at the two middle schools is similar, there is a wide difference among the elementary schools.

Natalie Carrignan, director of instructional technology, said she leaves the decision up to the principal because some schools are more ready to use the technology than others.

Greens Farms Elementary school staff, for example, likes to use the technology, she said.

Michael McGovern, a board member, said he worries that if the decision is left to the principals, one school may be dubbed the high technology school.

He doesn’t want to see that happen.

Lynne Shain, assistant superintendent for curriculum and staff development, said Smart Boards are a teaching tool, and the big problem for parity is ensuring students have computer access.

At the middle schools, for example, many times students have to leave the technology at home, she said.

The problem once existed at Staples High School, she said, but that was fixed and there is proper access.

There is a dire need for more computer access at the middle schools, she said, because there is not enough access for students to do their work, especially writing.

Don O’Day, a board member, said administrators should consider holding back on replacing some of the older computers that are working in order to purchase new computers.

“Some of them may not be maxed out if they were properly maintained,” he said.

Carrignan said there was $450,000 in computer replacement costs, and the technology staff examined what those older computers were being used for.

Many of those computers were kept – and in some cases moved to be used in other labs or schools – to cut the replacement costs to $230,000, she said.

If the staff can repair a computer, she said, they will keep it.

If a computer is replaced, she said, the staff will recycle its parts by keeping the hard drive and power supply in order to beef up the other computers they keep.