FALMOUTH — The School Board’s next workshop will more closely resemble a science fair or trade show, with presentations and exhibits focusing on the role technology plays in education.

The event will be held 7-9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, in the high school auditorium. Following a presentation, subgroups will split up for discussions. 

Attendees can expect a “trade show” environment, with different stations and exhibits and demos of different components of technology. Gretchen McNulty, director of public learning, said the stations will focus on computer science, integration of technology, and digital literacy.

School Board members, students from all three schools, School Department staff and faculty will participate. The workshop aims to touch on several themes, including: how technology and the ways it is used impacts students’ lives and their learning; how Falmouth schools utilize and use technology to enhance learning; what aspects of technology are explicitly taught and why; and the vision to continue improving in the above areas.

Superintendent Geoff Bruno said technology is a topic that a lot of people are interested in, whether it’s social media, the idea of digital citizenship or helping students navigate the digital space – which is why board members wanted to turn the workshop into a large community event.

“And there’s also sharing what we’re doing in the schools to utilize technology in classrooms,” Bruno said. “There are a lot of things kids are doing at all levels and across all schools, so this is a night where people can share ideas and also showcase what we’re doing.”

Advertisement

Some of the focus will be on Faltech high school students who run a lot of the school’s hardware and software support, students learning how to code, or students becoming certified technicians for Mac products.

“The kids are very much involved in not only utilizing technology in the classroom, but actually supporting the technology infrastructure in school itself,” Bruno said. “They run it. They’ll be front and center in terms of our presentation.”

McNulty, who is organizing the event, said the goal of the workshop is to “deepen our collective understanding of the role technology plays in our lives, the lives of our children, learning and the future.

“It is an opportunity for the community to see and learn firsthand from our students and teachers about the myriad ways technology enhances learning and creates new learning opportunities,” McNulty said. “It is also a chance to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities presented by technology.”

Colin Ellis can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or cellis@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @colinoellis.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.