1:1 Technology Survey for Parents

For each student there is a web message posted into their child's harmony account. Log in with your child's harmony password from your child's school webpage. The link to access the students harmony web account is to the left in the column marked harmony. If you do not know your child's harmony username and password call the school or email harmony@swest.k12.in.us

The following a copy of the web message from Southwest School Superintendent  Mr. Chris Stitzle which is found after you log into your child's harmony account.

As I review our past and as we also now look to the future, it appears the Southwest School Corporation is at a crossroads in terms of technology direction. Over the years, our schools have been updated with computers and other technology devices, however many of these devices are now out of date, slow, and basically worn out. The invention of the I-Pad, Droid, and Kunos tablet has many schools looking at initiatives involving 1:1 technology with their students. So our crossroads is do we replace these labs with new computers or do we look at a 1:1 implementation.

As I have personally begun to think about the future of the Southwest School Corporation as it relates to technology, I envision a direction that involves 1:1 technology. I see a school environment in which each student would carry some type of device with them to class each day. The device would have the ability to display and manage all necessary course or grade level curriculum and related resources. It would provide the students with greater communication opportunities with their teachers. I believe 1:1 technology allows more opportunities for teachers to create lessons or mini lessons to meet the students' individual needs thus creating an environment of differentiation instruction.

My vision my not be that of our staff, community, or students so I also believe the future direction of the school corporation needs input from our stakeholders before a path is determined. Using input from our stakeholders is essential to success of any initiative undertaken by the school corporation.

With that being said, we completed a survey with the teachers of the school corporation last week. This week we currently are asking the parents of the Southwest School Corporation students to participate in a survey to give us some feedback on how they feel about perhaps moving to a 1:1 technology initiative. Is this an investment parents are willing to make in their child's future? Then the students will be surveyed to collect their thoughts about the technology future. Finally, we will provide the community the opportunity to participate in the survey process at the annual Sullivan Corn Festival. This will be September 19-22. After all surveys from all groups are finished, results will be published on our web-site and then discussion and decisions will be made based on the feedback from the surveys of all the groups. We want everyone to have a voice in this decision as it affects everyone on one level or another. Thanks for your participation!!