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Technology Excellence
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Beachwood Middle School
Greeneville Middle School
Beachwood Middle School
Beachwood, OH |
| School Statistics |
| Total Enrollment: |
230 |
| Type of School: |
Public, Grades 7-8 |
| Location of School: |
Suburban |
| Demographics: |
White: 83%
African American: 13%
Asian: 4% |
| Computers: |
Desktops: 31
Laptops: 300
Handhelds: 1 |
Beachwood Middle School's state-of-the-art facility is impressive. However, the teaching and learning that take place there make it truly remarkable. Before the building opened last summer, school officials decided to use money from the construction budget to lease wireless laptops for staff and students, making Beachwood the first school in Ohio to initiate a one-to-one laptop program. Doing so also made it clear that technology is essential at Beachwood.
Technology is a learning resource in every classroom, every day. The school requires all incoming students to complete a course called Tech Town, which gives them hands-on experience on applications and hardware they'll use throughout their years at Beachwood. The goal is not just to be a high-achieving school; it's to forever change teaching and learning. And it's happening.
In language arts classes, students e-mail letters to local military personnel serving in Iraq. Students in social studies classes create multimedia presentations on issues ranging from women's health to the achievement gap and, on occasion, present them to state legislators.
The technology expertise extends to the faculty. A former tech teacher is now a full-time tech-integration specialist and offers staff ongoing workshops and one-on-one help to capitalize on the technology available in each class. As a result, even the least tech-savvy teachers can add a tech component to any lesson—and that's exactly what they've done.
“There's still no book out there about how to integrate technology,” says Beachwood principal Ed Bernetich. “We're learning as we go.” If there were a book, a large portion of it would be devoted to what Beachwood is teaching its students and staff about technology and learning.
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