Tennessee School District Wins The 2008 Sylvia Charp Award For District Innovation In Technology
The International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE®) and T.H.E. Journal have named the Greeneville City School District
( GCS) in Greeneville, Tennessee, the recipient of the fifth annual Sylvia Charp
District Award in honor of the late Dr. Sylvia Charp. Dr. Charp, an ardent,
lifelong supporter of ISTE and its mission, was also founding editor of
T.H.E. Journal.
The Charp Award recognizes school districts that exhibit effectiveness and
innovation in applying technology district-wide. Criteria for the award
include:
- Consistent district effectiveness
- Use of ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards and Essential
Conditions (NETS) or a local or statewide derivative of those standards
- Effective and innovative implementation of technology
- A commitment to share technology information with other districts.
GCS has developed a model technology program for its 2,800 students since
the integration of a comprehensive technology back in the 1995–1996 school
year. Since then, GCS has maintained a commitment to creating interactive
learning environments for students in its K–12 schools.
The district has continually strived to provide the latest learning
technologies such as issuing Gateway tablets to all teachers, granting
broadband wireless capability to all campuses, and installing LCD projectors
in each classroom. To ensure that all technology is up to date, the district
developed a cyclical lease replacement program that is used each year
regardless of budget circumstances.
GCS's IT Team developed new processes for professional learning that easily
integrates new technology into the existing curriculum. Teachers actively
participate in trainings that introduce tools to make classroom instruction
efficient and valuable.
"Professional development plays an important role in being able to respond
to the implementation of new technologies and their incorporation into the
teaching and learning process. The system has recognized this need and has
made technology integration a part of almost every professional activity,"
says Greeneville City Schools Director Lyle Ailshie.
In order to ensure that all students have access to adequate technology, the
district has implemented its Homelink program. Through this program, old
computers being recycled out of the schools are placed with free Internet
access in the homes of students who otherwise would not have a computer.
Along with the program is a parent-training component allowing parents to be
involved in the technology that their children are learning.
Representatives of Greeneville City Schools, including Chief Technology
Officer Beverly W. Miller, will be honored and presented with the award at
the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), to be held in San
Antonio, Texas, June 29 through July 2, 2008. The district will receive
$2,000 toward NECC registration, travel and housing for two representatives.
About T.H.E. Journal
T.H.E. Journal informs and educates K–12 administrators, technologists, and
educators to improve and advance teaching and administration through the use
of technology. Each issue contains news, trends and features with topics
covering networking, security, policy and advocacy, telecom,
hardware/software, the smart classroom, mobile computing and wireless,
technology funding, professional development and more. In addition, T.H.E.
Journal contains product reviews and "best practices" articles each month.
Look for additional articles and up-to-date news and events on T.H.E.
Journal's Web site and its various eNewsletters.
For more information, visit www.thejournal.com
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