Technology

We are Wired in to the 21st Century!

Wangenheim Middle school is dedicated to preparing our students with the skills they need for the 21st century. As technology continues to grow in our society, our students will need to be ready to apply these skills in authentic, integrated ways to solve problems, complete projects and creatively extend their abilities.

In order to meet the needs of our students, teachers at Wangenheim middle school combine content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge in fully equipped i21 classrooms to provide our students multiple ways to learn. This year our students have begun taking their computers home with them.

All classrooms at Wangenheim are i21 Interactive Classrooms. Our i21 classrooms are engaging and personalized learning environments designed to optimize teaching and learning through the interconnected use of mobile computing, audio, visual and formative assessment technologies across the curriculum. Our i21 classrooms include an interactive whiteboard, audio/visual cabinet, a teacher's presentation station,a wireless voice amplification system, an advanced-model document camera, DVD player, and a class set of laptops. Each student is assigned their own Netbook, a small, portable laptop computer specifically designed for wireless communication and access to the internet. Student netbooks include the following software:

  • Windows 7 & Windows 8 (operating system)
  • Chrome and Firefox (web browsers)
  • Microsoft Office, Professional (business applications):
  • Word (word processing)
  • PowerPoint (presentation design)
  • Excel (spreadsheet)
  • Publisher (print layout)
  • OneNote (note taking)
  • Access (database)
  • Microsoft Movie Maker (video editing)
  • Picasa (image editing and management)
  • Google Earth (maps and satellite images)
  • Google Sketchup (3-D modeling)
  • iTunes (media player)
  • Chromebook laptops
  • ActivEngage (student response system)
  • LanSchool (classroom management)
  • Kurzweil 3000 (text-to-speech)

An important component of the i21 classroom is the student response system. Each student netbook computer includes the software that allows students to respond electronically in real time to teacher questions, quizzes or discussions. The system affords teachers the flexibility to request responses in a variety of ways--such as multiple choice, rating scale, or open text.

This new style of interaction offers immediate feedback for teacher and students alike. Teachers are able to quickly gauge student comprehension to provide additional instruction where needed Students who might be too shy to raise a hand in traditional classroom settings now have a new, low-pressure way to participate. Every student can have an equal voice.

Wangenheim teachers receive ongoing training designed to optimize the integration of these technologies into teaching and learning. Our students are highly engaged while participating in standards based-instruction in our integrated i21 classroom learning environments.

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