Philosophy

We must be prepared to utilize all available tools to meet goals established by the 21st Century Challenge. The use of technology in our schools represents one of those tools. Children are the key to America's future and computers are the tools of their times.

Technology can enhance children's learning and unlock their creativity. It can help children be more productive and develop better communication skills that will help them succeed in college or the workplace.

Those responsible for predicting the future work force indicate that the US economy will become more and more tied to our ability to access knowledge and information. When utilized along with other resources, such as the timely availability of management information, effectively prepared teachers and administrators, well equipped facilities, and appropriate levels of funding, technology can help ensure that our students will become successful and productive citizens.

With this in mind, it is important to give our children preparation in the technological skills that will be necessary for the 21st Century.

Local Advances:

• Lauderdale County Schools boasts a wide variety of technology and network capabilities.
• Every school in Lauderdale County, as well as the district office, is wired with a high-speed ethernet network. (LAN) This creates a district wide-area network. (WAN) A network such as this allows students and staff members to share files and other information in a fast, efficient manner. Work can be done cooperatively on local class projects or projects with other classes around the world.
• Every classroom in every school has been wired for Internet access. As new computers are placed in schools, this provides immediate access to LAN and WAN services, as well as Internet access,. Providing Internet access to students and staff takes education beyond geographical boundaries and furnishes reference materials that otherwise would not be available to them.
• Each year, more and more teachers become involved in national and international Internet cooperative learning projects. Many have received recognition in newspapers and magazines.
• Internet safety is a top priority in our schools. We feel our students deserve as safe a learning experience as possible through technology and have taken steps to provide a secure environment with the support of a content filtering system. This system filters objectionable Internet material while maintaining the integrity of the world wide web.
• Currently, the technology department supports approximately 1500 computers, the majority of which have wide-area network and Internet privileges. The number of computers in our schools is growing daily.
• The Lauderdale County Technology Department has been recognized as one of the most progressive and innovative rural school districts in the state.

21st Century Classrooms and Libraries:

Twenty eight 21st Century Classrooms, each equipped with $20,000 of state-of-the-art equipment, cross all grade and curriculum levels. This new kind of classroom is a learning environment organized to facilitate cooperation among teachers and equipped with state-of-the-art technology that changes the way students learn and the way teachers teach.

Educators use this new technology to introduce and explore new information. One of the outcomes of that process will be students who learn how to use technology to solve real-world problems and to think creatively for themselves. The 21st Century Classroom is a learning environment which will help ensure success for our students as we prepare them for the occupations of the future and to become more competitive in a new global economy.

Every school library incorporates computers with reference software, laser printers, and Internet access. These computers are also used as testing stations for the Accelerated Reader program, which is being used at every grade level.

The Internet is, without a doubt, one of our most wondrous tools for learning and one of the most effective teaching tools available. Through the Internet, our libraries and classrooms now provide easy, efficient access to a world of information that stretches far beyond the confines of the classrooms themselves.

Computer Labs:

Schools with 7th and 8th grades contain Goals 2000 Science Technology Labs. Ripley High School and Halls High School contains fully-equipped IBM and Macintosh computer labs, plus a Technical Education Modular Lab. Each of the remaining schools have networked Apple IIe/Macintosh labs, Josten's Learning labs, or Plato Learning labs.

Ripley High serves as a WREG-TV Weather Station site http://www.wreg.com/global/category.asp?c=5492 and Halls High maintains a Geostationary Operational Earth Station (G.O.E.S..) This real time satellite captures live images from geostationary and polar orbiting weather satellites around the world.

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