County Principals Pick Up Lessons on Technology

Thursday was the day Ventura County principals went to school.

Not to supervise, but to listen, learn, raise their hands and ask questions.

About 65 principals attended a conference sponsored by the Ventura County superintendent of schools to discuss ways of integrating technology into the classroom.

And with educators grappling every day with changing technology and shrinking budgets, the conference was timely.

“Given the multitude of options and choices, how do you decide how to best use your limited resources?” asked De Anza Middle School Principal David Myers.

The choices are daunting to principals who don’t have technical expertise, and many asked the county to provide more guidance.

But several principals said just learning what other schools are doing was a good first step.

“We are all struggling to come up with a plan to integrate technology in the classroom at our individual sites,” said Thelma Edmundson, superintendent and principal of the one-school Somis Union District. “It is very important to network with other principals. This was very worthwhile.”

In one of two workshops, Laurie Maak, a Berkeley-based consultant, encouraged principals to network--online and offline--with schools beyond the county.

“The Net is an opportunity to talk about strategies and see which ones are useful,” Maak said. “On the Internet you can visit other schools that are integrating technology in an effective manner.”

Maak also urged principals to seek guidance offline. A school in Chula Vista near San Diego recorded a dramatic rise in test scores because of its successful use of technology in the classroom, she said. “Call the principal and find out what they do. Go to the districts who are doing the right thing.”

In Ventura County, computer usage varies widely among districts, with some boasting one computer for every three students and others one for every 35 students.

The conference came just eight days before the much-publicized NetDay ‘96, a project that aims to wire every school in California to the Internet.

But no one knows how effective NetDay will be.

“Just wiring schools will not do much,” said John Mok-Lamme, technology coordinator for the Los Angeles County office of education, who led a workshop on ways to use technology in the classroom.

Mok-Lamme told principals that a resource such as the World Wide Web, the fastest-growing segment of the Internet, could be used on several levels. On a basic level, it works simply as a source of information, he said. But he said it was necessary for principals and teachers to understand how to use the Internet creatively, helping students design their own presentations and collaborating online with students throughout the world.

“As principals, you want to be at the top of the pyramid,” Mok-Lamme said. Otherwise, the rich technology will become the next VCR--a passive box that just entertains, he added.

Everyone agreed the path to acquiring the technology and training staff members will be a long one.

“Long-term planning is crucial,” Maak said. “And all the people involved in it should be using the Net themselves.”