New technology coming to Oak Park schools
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

ME AND MY MAC- Kathy Mosley, a Medea Creek Middle School eighth-grade teacher, hugs her new MacBook laptop. Mosley is one of 43 teachers who will participate in a pilot program in Oak Park Unified School District designed to bring 21st-century technology into the classroom. The initiative is funded by Measure C6, passed by Oak Park voters. JANN HENDRY Acorn Newspapers

Part 1 of two parts

While Oak Park students are on summer break, their schools will be refurbished and new technology equipment added.

The first phase of work includes purchasing, installing and training teachers on interactive white boards; improvements to the district's network infrastructure including updated servers, switches, cabling and software; and a new computer lab at Medea Creek Middle School.

The second phase, planned for early 2008, will include mobile computer labs, wireless technology and digital microscopes.

"What we envision is that kids will use computers much more than they do now. Now they have to go to a room with a computer," Superintendent Anthony Knight said.

The work, updating the district's technology, is part of the $17.5 million C6 bond that Oak Park voters passed in June 2006.

Before deciding how to best implement new technology for the district, administrators, teachers and members of the technology committee spent the past year researching available options. They visited other California school districts in Palo Alto, Berkeley and Riverside to see firsthand the latest educational technology.

The committee hired Jane Mintz, an art teacher at Medea Creek Middle School, as director of educational technology to oversee the development of what the committee is calling the "21st century classroom."

Mintz, who holds a master's degree in educational technology, served as technology director for a school in New York before coming to Oak Park. Mintz's responsibility encompasses all aspects of technology in the district, including teacher training and maintaining support.

"I honestly can't think of a better person to serve as a resource for teachers as we begin to implement our new vision for technology through the Measure C6 funds. Her expertise in this area will be invaluable to us all," Knight said.

In addition, the committee appointed seven Oak Park residents to a newly formed C6 bond oversight committee to review projections, collections and expenditures of bond funding. They also chose Data Systems Worldwide, a Woodland Hillsbased technology service provider led by Oak Park resident Phil Mogavero as a consultant for the plan implementation.

"I'm excited about this project. It's a lot of money and we want to make sure we spend it right," Mogavero said. "I would like to see Oak Park be a model technology community."

So far, 43 teachers from the district's five schools have requested interactive white boards for their classrooms. On July 9 they picked up their equipment, including a laptop and the interactive boards. The educators will be trained to use the technology prior to the start of school on Weds., Aug. 29.

Medea Creek Middle School's aging technology lab will be replaced with a state-of-the-art lab.

The current equipment was installed in 1994 and has never been upgraded. The new equipment will cost $86,000 and is covered by C6. The computer lab will open to the community for use after school hours, and instructional classes will be offered, according to Knight.

"The computer lab is kind of a showcase for the school, a high-profile aspect of campus. We want the community to know we're spending C6 funds wisely- thank you to the community," Knight said.

The C6 bond specified that proceeds can also apply to photocopiers, instructional equipment such as lab stations for science classrooms, and vehicles for maintenance and student transportation. Seating for the pavilion, the multipurpose room at Oak Park High School, is also in the plan.

Future projects include a digital audio/video studio at the high school; upgrading science labs; a districtwide wireless computer network; digital lockers for students and teachers to work from remote sites; paperless classrooms and other upgrades to the pavilion.

Victor Anderson, the district's teacher leadertechnology, credited Knight with "vision and leadership" in helping Oak Park incorporate new technologies with the goal of making the district "a national model for teaching and learning.

"The whole process has been a lot of work and very stressful but a lot of fun. The change will have a dramatic effect on technology and teaching in Oak Park," Anderson said.

Part 2 will focus on the new equipment, detailing its functions and capabilities.