Associate Superintendent Christine Syriac is pursuing two grant requests with the intention of improving the use of technology throughout the school district.
“Really it’s not a monetary grant,” said Syriac. “It is a grant for professional development that would be provided through ACES.”
The district’s technology commission filed two requests for the grant. The first would provide professional development training for the high school teachers while the second would focus on assessing the need for technology improvements at all five of Seymour’s schools.
Under the first request, teachers would switch out in half-day shifts over the course of four days to take advantage of the professional development training. Each teacher at the high school would end up with a full day of training.
“What we’re really agreeing to support are the substitute teachers,” Syriac said. It would be necessary to hire enough substitutes to handle the workload while the teachers attend the training seminars.
Board of Education member Frederick Stanek expressed some concern over taking time with their regular teachers away from the students. Syriac assured him and the sparse crowd gathered for the board of education meeting that all efforts would be made to minimize that impact.
“We will reschedule the professional development day if there is a substitute shortage,” said Syriac. “We’ll try to work in some flexibility.”
Stanek suggested scheduling days after the conclusion of the school year for teacher specific training. Chairman Bruce Baker noted that contractual obligations with the teachers would not likely allow for that.
According to Syriac the ultimate goal would be to schedule a “District Technology Day” full of workshops for the teachers. Each teacher would be able to sign up for three two-hour workshops.
With more technology available to teachers as teaching aids, Syriac and others feel it is necessary to train them to use it properly.
Some of the proposed training would help teachers educate students in proper researching practices with the Internet. The school system’s own Web site also serves as a resource that teachers need to be trained to use effectively.
“I really think teachers are bringing more of the technology into the classroom,” said Syriac. “But we need to support them by supplying them with the information and support to do it well.”
Because the item is at this stage still a grant application, there is no guarantee the school district will receive it. Outside of Syriac’s presentation on what the grant requests entail, there was no action on the matter.
