Project+Justifications

__//**Justifications**//__

__//**New Building Construction**//__

As mentioned in the school overview, renovating Washington Elementary was not a viable or fiscally sound option. Through the combined efforts of the School District school board, the generous members of the community and grants from various educational agencies, it was determined that creating a 21st century school would be the most influential decision at this time. There will be many benefits generated by the new Washington Elementary school. The overwhelming amount of educational benefits has been listed throughout this document and repeating will not be necessary.

Benefits for teachers and staff members include pride in knowing that their school is an institution which will serve as a benchmark for other schools in the district. They will use Washington’s successes to assess other schools’ educational practices and determine where adjustments can be made. Visits to the school from other school district representatives and esteemed guests will generate more pride for the administration, faculty, staff and student body. State-of-the-art, research based educational practices will provide the staff with cutting edge teaching methods which will enable them to create new and progressive teaching techniques which can be shared with colleagues via word of mouth, the Internet or presentations at local/regional/national conferences

The community benefits from these technological enhancements for many reasons. First, parents will be pleased by the district’s proactive approach to technology integration in the classroom. They will develop a sense of ownership in Washington Elementary and know that their children will be getting the best education the district can provide. Students who are engaged and excited about school and learning early in their educational years will carry that excitement throughout their entire scholastic career and be better prepared for their 21st century futures. The new school could also be a pilot program for the remaining schools in the district. The district will be able to gradually incorporate successful educational practices witnessed in Washington Elementary school into the other buildings in the district. Over time, the improvements seen in throughout the district would assist with earning Blue Ribbon School status from the United States Department of Education for the 2nd time in district history.


 * //__Hardware__//**

With the future of these students and others following behind them in mind, we made choices on hardware that will allow for the possibility of future expansion if/when needed. The hardware chosen for Washington is capable of supporting the educational needs for teachers and students incorporate their 21st century learning methods. Fiber optic cable will be installed between the MDF to the IDF's to provide bandwidth needed to run the programs provided to the teachers. Cat6 Ethernet cable will be installed from the IDF's to the individual classrooms, library, media centers and administrative offices to accommodate the needs of the staff and students throughout the school day. Software

The software packages installed on each computer are tools which will enhance the educational experience for every student in Washington Elementary. Combining research-based teaching practices and cutting edge technological opportunities, students will have the greatest chances for success in all their studies. Giving the students and teachers the opportunity to utilize equipment and software geared towards a successful 21st century classroom provides the avenue for the students and teachers to become leaders, not only in their school, but in their district and community. Washington Elementary will become a benchmark school for others to use as an example of the potential of a fully integrated 21st century classroom.

__//**Classroom Equipment**//__

21st century learning needs to incorporate 21st century technology so the computers were chosen with this in mind. The computers in each class will handle any assignment which will require access to the internet. They will also allow the students to explore online resources and to create amazing projects for their classes. With integrated video and audio systems, classrooms will be able to incorporate guest speakers via teleconferencing software such as Skype, accommodate distance learning opportunities and allow for easier communication between teacher and parents. The laptops will allow for total classroom access to any online assignments or resources created by the teachers. With the incorporation of the computer equipment, the sphere of influence will be expanded from a textbook/workbook into a global community of learning opportunities.

__//**Support**//__

In order to accommodate the new technology and equipment, proper support is needed to keep things running smoothly. As the first level of on-site support, one teacher from each grade (including Kindergarten/Special Education) will be provided extensive training on the new equipment and software packages installed in each classroom. This select group of staff members will become the on-site go to experts when a question arises from one of their peers regarding their classroom equipment/software. Questions or concerns which cannot be resolved will be reported to the help desk for further diagnostics. ITS staff will be trained on the software packages, whiteboards, LCD projectors, computers and IP phones in order to assist as needed. ITS staff will be able to provide remote and on-site support for staff and students at Washington Elementary.