Technology in the Classroom

But as the BellSouth grant term draws to an end, Mary Scroggs Elementary will be seeking funding to continue its Tech@Home Program and maintain a program manager position on its staff.

In spring 2001, the school received a two-year, $250,000 BellSouth Power to Learn Grant and was able to begin experimenting with a serious integration of technology into the classroom.

Now, administrators are ready to expand the program schoolwide and hope to maintain the program as a permanent component of future curriculum.

"We hope to have 100 percent of our families and students connected," said school principal Paula McCarthy. "By January, every one in school will have a password."

This password will allow students to log onto the school's server from home and access files from school, as well as the software like HyperStudio and Microsoft Excel.

Ray Reitz, chief technology officer of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said continued integration of technology in the classroom is a priority throughout the district.

"One of the things we believe is that technology literacy has become a basic skill of the 21st century," Reitz said. "Providing these skills is critical to success in any occupation."

With the funds provided by the BellSouth grant, Mary Scroggs began pursuing technological integration during the 2000-01 school year.

A part-time technology manager was hired, and two servers were purchased to put the school online. All teachers were then trained to create and maintain a Web site for their classroom.

"Parents can log on, see the day's work, the homework and what's coming up next week," McCarthy said.

The school's pilot program identified students whose families did not have access to a computer or Internet service at home to provide them with an Internet computer on loan.

"We wanted to level the playing field," McCarthy said.

The program placed more than 20 computers in the homes of eligible students, found the families special rates for Internet access and provided basic training in Spanish and English.

Julie Janes, a teacher in the pilot program, helped to deliver the computer systems to individual homes and train the families.

"Even parents who were 'school shy' started showing up more and more," Janes said. "Through the deliveries and training, we had made more of a relationship with them."

Reitz said that Mary Scroggs Elementary has become a model for the district but that financial barriers often limit the technological capabilities at public schools.

"Schools are challenged with limited funding to keep up with the pace of technological change."

The City Editor be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.