Technology
Brownstown Central Community Corporation (BCCSC) believes the following statements are critical in creating, maintaining, and expanding a technology-rich school environment that ensures our students are future ready.- Our students must prepare technologically to function and compete in today’s rapidly advancing world.
- Digital learning is essential for our students to develop the higher levels of critical thinking skills needed to meet college and career ready standards.
- Technology must be necessary, available, and seamless as both instructional and productive tools for our teachers and students.
- Professional development for our faculty focuses on the development of innovative teaching strategies and best practices that will enhance the integration of technology, digital resources, and higher level thinking into the daily curriculum.
- Formal and informal digital assessments provide immediate and valuable feedback to aid our teachers in addressing the individual needs of students.
Our corporation is nearing the end of a three-year journey to increase our daily access to technology, improve the technology skills of both students and educators, and amplify our use of standards-based digital resources within our curriculum. By creating a strategic plan, undergoing technology and instructional assessments of our corporation, and meeting the goals of our 3-Year DOE Tech Plan, we have been successul in our endeavors. The full journey is described later in more detail.
We are now in the process of developing a new strategic plan that will guide us for the next three school years beginning in the fall of 2016. To aid in the development of that strategic plan, the following initial steps are underway.
- Apply for a IDOE 2016 Digital Learning Grant to expand our goal of 1:1 computers (Chromebooks) in all middle school and high school language arts classes to include grades four and five at the elementary school.
- Create a timeline and schedule meetings for the corporation Technology Team. to develop the new strategic technology plan with emphasis on professional development.
- Seek immediate professional development opportunities for our technology leaders, educators, and administrators which focus on integrating technology to create rigorous learning environments that promote success in achieving our new, more-complex Indiana Academic Standards.
- Support the planning of grade-specific technology-enriched authentic projects and activities building on a progression of acquired technology skills.
Brownstown Central High School
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Brownstown Central Middle School
 New furniture in the BCMS Library allows students to work collaboratively.  Groups of students use the mobile whiteboard in the LMC to prepare for Paralympic presentations in their language arts class.  Project Lead the Way students learn to design projects using computers. |
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Brownstown Elementary School
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 Kindergarten student marks his attendance using the interactive whiteboard mounted in the room.  Students in grades K-2 participate in various activities during scheduled lab time. |
Our Technology Journey (2012-2015)
In 2012, BCCSC applied for an Innovative Planning Grant offered by the Indiana Department of Education. Upon being awarded this grant, technology leaders from Brownstown Central High School, Brownstown Central Middle School, and Brownstown Elementary School collaborated to develop a strategic plan as well as undergo a technology and instructional assessment by Five-Star Technology Solutions.
Guided by our beliefs and our Strategic Plan and with financial support provided by a $23 million corporation-wide 2014 building renovation project backed by our school board, we were able to complete or to initiate the goals of our three-year Technology plan as submitted to the IDOE.
- Foster an environment that will support blended 1:1 classroom learning. (completed)
- Support a personalized professional learning environment for all BCCSC educators. (ongoing)
- Develop and maintain a BCCSC Technology Integration Plan listing various software and cloud-based applications as well as eLearning situations that students should encounter at specific grade levels. (initiated)
As a result of our strategic planning, funding from our renovation project, and additional financial support from our School Board, the following advancements have taken place.
- Interactive projectors, whiteboards, and document cameras have been installed in all regular classrooms within the corporation. Addition of this technology has led to enhanced technology skills for both students and teachers as well as the implementation of an enriched curriculum.
- 1:1 Chromebooks for all Language Arts classrooms in grades 6-12.
- 1:1 Chromebook in additional classrooms at BCMS and BCHS.
- Attendance at local and national conferences including ICE (Indiana Connected Educators), HECC (Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators), ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), IDOE eLearning Summer Conferences, AASL (American Association of School Librarians).
- Regularly scheduled In-house technology-related professional development for BES grade level teams during the school day.
- Instructional coaching available at BCMS and BCHS.
- Re-design of BCMS Library Media Center as a Learning Commons to support collaborative small group learning and makerspace opportunities.
On a regular basis, BCCSC continues to review and reassess the role of technology within our school curriculum to ensure our students are future ready.