BLACK & GOLD
Talon TECHNOLOGY Vianney charts the course for the future with comprehensive approach to technology in and out of the classroom.
T
echnology at Vianney is a many-splendored thing. Today, it’s being used inside and outside the classroom in creative and meaningful ways. And while other schools prefer to take the 1:1 road - where students schlep identical devices everywhere they go - the beauty of Vianney’s program is that one size doesn’t fit all. But to say Vianney’s early efforts at integrating technology were baby steps would be an understatement. There was a level of frustration with slow Internet speeds, quirky devices and an outdated technology infrastructure. Creating an environment rich with 21st century learning opportunities has taken determined effort on the part of administration, faculty, and staff.
Internet access to all students and faculty, enabling students to take control of their own learning styles by using the digital tools in their backpacks and pockets to engage the content in their classrooms. Interested to see more detail about the work of Vianney’s Technology Committee? Visit bitly.com/viannneytechcommittee
The Plan
With the infrastructure now in place, the committee turned its focus to the question of student access to devices. After speaking with representatives from a number of area schools, some of whom had adopted a 1:1 program, some Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), The Investment and some a more traditional lab-based scenario, the committee decided upon a unique plan that would support our own BYOD In late August, 2011, Dr. Tim Dilg and school President Mike program and allow our academic departments to select devices Loyet assembled a team of parents, alumni, students, faculty, based on the needs of their curricula. This plan, dubbed the “Talon administration and staff to assess the status of Vianney’s technology Technology Deployment Plan,” focused on high-quality professional situation and begin to craft a vision for the future. Through the development first and device selection second. tireless work of the members of this committee, important changes The development began with a whole-school transition to the webbegan to take shape. Dedicated funds were set aside to begin the based e-mail and office suite solution Google Apps. Students began work and ensure that it would continue each year. The campus was writing and revising papers entirely online, enjoying a faster peerwired for quick, reliable access to the Internet with a connection and teacher-review process through the powerful features of Google almost sixty-five times as fast as before. Drive. From there, teachers embarked on a Important classroom space was reclaimed self-paced introduction to multiple connective and from projector stands and a uniform display collaborative web technologies through a program “Ultimately, our goal system inaugurated with the installation of called Vianney 2.0. is for our students to 60” LED TVs across Vianney classrooms. Armed with an abundance of tools, teachers be lifelong learners The number of portable devices available to then learned a framework for evaluating the uses who are well-prepared students doubled with the purchase of two of technology in the classroom and selecting the to contribute to an mobile carts full of Google Chromebooks ones that produce the best learning experiences ever-changing global and a sizeable donation of Dell laptops. Most for students. Now in the final stage of the society.” importantly, Vianney provided free wireless development, teachers are participating in an Dr. Tim Dilg, Principal
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