The OCS Technology Resource Portal is meant as a staging platform for technology resources. Below you will find a series of new articles that are meant to explore many of the technology issues of interest to schools. These articles are authored by experts and experienced users of school technology, and furthermore reviewed by the OCS Technology Team for quality before publication.  Please check back regularly for new & updated articles.

 

Technology Plan	download
Local School Planning Template	download

The technology integration plan for AoC schools was certified in June 2011 and will be valid until May 2014.
 

Free Web. 2.0 Resources

download pdf

 
Web 2.0 is more than anything else a new way for searchers to actually use the Web in a collaborative, interactive way. The term 2.0 doesn’t mean that we are “out with the old and in with the new”; quite the contrary! It’s just a new perspective on how we use the Web, and how the Web is used for much, MUCH more than just a search.
 
Technology Standards

National Education Technology Standards for Students

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Technology is a powerful agent in increasing learning, communications, and life skills for young people in our schools today. The first publication of the NETS project in 1998 was to “enable stakeholders in PreK-12 education to develop national standards for educational uses of technology that facilitate school improvement. (NETS Standards for Students, ISTE 2000). These standards have been adopted as the official technology standards for schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The new Genesis School Improvement Process will involve reporting on the implementation of these standards.

Helpful Links

Powerschool Help Desk	file a ticket online
Technology Workshops	view webpage
Discussion Groups	view forum
eRate News Update	view webpage

 

 

 

Students in the 21st Century

Today’s students are connected around the clock with handheld devices and multimedia applications. They are found on smartphones or tablets reading books on e-readers, storing documents in the cloud, connecting with friends on social media, and more. As technology continues to evolve and be defined, all of us in Catholic schools are moving forward with initiatives that support students, as well as their teachers and parents. As educators we look at students’ learning styles, interests, and abilities to create digital learning environments that enhance the classroom experience. We take an integrated approach joining curriculum with technology to transform the students into 21^st century learners.

We offer workshops and trainings throughout the year to provide professional development opportunities for teachers to prepare and enhance competencies and expertise with the use of technology in the classroom. From there, a teacher becomes the “expert” to the local school and provides their skill set and knowledge to the other teachers. This type of learning community supports collaboration amongst a teaching staff that effects positive change in student learning with best practices in technology. Teachers are constantly finding creative ways to use technology in their classrooms to increase the effectiveness of instruction and the level of student engagement with higher-order thinking.

Written By:

Christopher Haruska             

Director of Technology              
Office of Catholic Schools
e. charuska@archchicago.org
p. 312.534.3857