Instructional Applications

Guilford County Schools developed its first Long-Range Technology Plan in 1994.  That early committee “envisioned access to technologies that enhance and expand student learning opportunities”.  Since that time, technology has become an integral part of the learning environment. 

Technology is used to support the curriculum and to provide enhanced learning experiences for all students.  Guilford County provides activities that assist students in the mastery of the computer competency skills as well as programs that improve student achievement through the use of technology. 

Key technology programs and district initiatives that support classroom learning are provided in the following areas:

Curriculum Support/Enhancement Programs
Online Resources
Web Construction Tool
Computer Skills Preparation
Assessment Software
Distance Learning Opportunities

While most instructional applications and district initiatives are selected by the Curriculum Development Division of the district, software must also be approved for use by the Technology Applications Review Committee (TARC).  This ensures a standardized and controllable network environment.

Curriculum Support/Enhancement Programs

Standardized age-appropriate software is purchased for all computers in a particular grade/area.  This enables teachers at different grade levels to use technology with specific areas of the curriculum or on different skills such as reading, writing, keyboarding and information skills.  Several of the key programs provided to all sites include:

WiggleWorks  Computerized reading centers are installed in all first and second grade classrooms.  These centers use WiggleWorks, a software package that integrates reading books and units.  The multimedia software is designed especially to improve reading skills of young children.  Several other software titles such as Learn to Read with Phonics, I Can Read with Phonics and Scholastic Keys are also included in the computerized reading centers.

Orchard  Orchard, a product by Siboney Learning Group, uses pretests specific to North Carolina to assess students’ knowledge and identify areas of weakness where students need remediation.  Students are automatically assigned appropriate instructional modules to help them master those standards.  Each skill module has been designed to build and reinforce key skills that are taught in the classroom and to meet individual learning needs.  Guilford County purchases Math K-6, Language Arts K-6 and Vocabulary Builder modules for all elementary school computers.

SuccessMaker  Pearson Digital Learning’s SuccessMaker software is installed in the computer labs and classrooms of all Title I elementary schools.  Level I and Level II students use the software to help increase academic achievement in reading and math.  Students are encouraged to utilize the programs for a minimum of thirty minutes, three days a week.  Daily and weekly formative assessment data are available to the classroom teacher.

Kid Pix Deluxe  Broderbund’s Kid Pix Deluxe allows students to create multimedia art projects with graphics, sounds and animation.

Inspiration  Inspiration enables students to build graphic organizers using a diagramming and outlining tool that easily represents concepts and relationships.

UltraKeys  UltraKeys is a multimedia, voice-accompanied keyboarding instruction program for elementary children.

Accelerated Reader  Accelerated Reader is a very popular software that is installed in all schools.  It motivates students to read and monitors the students’ reading levels.  Most schools provide incentives for students as they accumulate points using the program.

Microsoft Office Pro  Office provides integrated word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation tools.

SAT Coach  The Triumph Learning Coach Series for SAT, ACT and PSAT is purchased for all high schools.  The software is web-based which makes it available for home or school use.  It is important for assisting students to prepare for college entrance exams.  It is also a valuable tool for identifying and encouraging students to take Advanced Placement and other honor-level courses.  The PSAT is administered to all 9th and 10th grade students in Guilford County.

SpringBoard prepares students in grades 6-12 with the critical thinking, reasoning and writing skills they need to be successful in college.  It is a unique program designed around the rigorous College Board Standards. These Standards identify the skills and competencies students need to be prepared for college.

In addition to the standard software that is provided to all sites, schools may purchase software from an approved list for their individual use.  Some popular software packages that are often purchased but not provided by the district include Reader Rabbit, Kidspiration, Scholastic Inventory, various Riverdeep Edmark titles and additional modules from Orchard. 

The complete list of standard and approved software can be found in the Software section of the Technology Services web site.

Online Resources

With increased connectivity of computers in classrooms, many new applications are web-enabled online resources.  The software is always up-to-date and offers anytime, anywhere access.  Popular online resources that are available to classrooms include:

unitedstreaming™  Produced by Discovery Education, unitedstreaming™ is a digital video-on-demand service.  It has more than 50,000 current video clips that can be incorporated into classroom learning.  Video segments can be streamed directly to the classroom or downloaded in advance.

LearnNC  A statewide resource for North Carolina educators, LearnNC is provided and maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education.  Quality lesson plans, educational resources, professional development and online courses are available at this web site.

NC WIseOwl  North Carolina Online Window for Learning (NC WiseOwl) is a web site that provides teachers and students access to a variety of online resources for K-12 students.  The site has several subscription databases, periodicals, newspapers and Grolier Online Encyclopedia.  These subscription databases are available to every public school and home in North Carolina with Internet access.

Kaleidoscope  A web portal created for North Carolina elementary and middle school teachers, Kaleidoscope has week-by-week lessons that integrate the Computer Skills and the Information Skills curricula into the classroom.  It links online resources and models best practices.

SAS inSchool  Funded through a grant from Bank of America and in cooperation with North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, SAS inSchool is available to all secondary schools in North Carolina.  SAS inSchool, a division of SAS, develops web-based, multimedia resources that focus on the core subjects taught in grades 8-12.

ACT: Activity, Curriculum and Technology Lesson Plans on the Web
The ACT: Activity, Curriculum and Technology Project is a joint effort by the Guilford County Schools Technology Services Department and The Curriculum Improvement Division to provide quality, online lesson plans for teachers.  These lesson plans focus on effective ways to teach the curriculum objectives in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.  In addition to research-based instructional strategies, these plans include many downloadable supplemental resources that support their implementation.  Lessons are reviewed by curriculum coaches prior to publication to insure quality lesson design and delivery.   The ACT lesson plan database is searchable by NCSCOS objective, grade/subject area and technology skill. 

Technology Services has added several features and links to our main web site that guide users to quality online resources.

Web Sites for Students is a collection of appropriate web sites that are intended to provide assistance with curricular activities and homework.

Web Sites for Teachers is a menu of exemplary educational Internet sites and activities of interest that are available for teachers.

Computer Skills Help provides vocabulary review and practice activities that help students prepare for the North Carolina Computer Skills Test.

WebQuests are online inquiry-oriented lessons created by teachers in Guilford County and worldwide on various subjects.  All the information that a student explores and evaluates is found on the web.

Web Construction Tool

A web construction tool, SchoolCenter is provided for all teachers employed by Guilford County Schools.  A teacher’s web site can be utilized to communicate with parents, students and colleagues.  Additionally the software has templates and wizards that allow teachers to create interactive activities, quizzes, blogs and message boards which can be used for instruction.

Computer Skills Preparation

Students must demonstrate mastery of various computer skills and pass the North Carolina Computer Skills Test in order to receive a high school diploma.  Test items assess a student’s knowledge of desktop publishing, databases, spreadsheets, telecommunications, societal issues and multimedia presentations.  All of these strands are computer skills components of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades K-8.  The Computer Skills Test is now an online, Internet-based assessment written in a generic, proprietary application called NCDesk.  NCDesk was designed at NC State University and contains modules that resemble popular application software. 

Instructional Technology Facilitators (ITFs) are assigned to middle school sites to work with instructional applications.  Their primary function is to prepare students for the Computer Skills Test.  They also assist in facilitating the use of technology in the classroom and provide training for teachers.  

The middle school ITFs begin each school year by helping the 8th grade students review the computer skills curriculum and prepare to take the state-mandated Computer Skills Test in the fall.  After the testing window closes, the ITFs begin working with 7th grade teachers and students. Since technology is particularly effective in the social studies curriculum, the teachers model various technology lessons in the computer lab for 7th grade social studies teachers.  This curriculum serves as the focal point in which technology is integrated through the use of databases, spreadsheets, word processing and Internet use.  ITSs also model lessons for 6th grade social studies teachers as time permits.

The Instructional Technology Facilitators have created materials to help students prepare for the computer skills test.  Practice quizzes are created by ITFs using the unitedstreaming™ web site.   The unitedstreaming web site provides immediate feedback on the test questions to the student and provides summary results to the instructor.

Additional model lessons, instructional activities and practice tests that were originally written with Microsoft Office are being converted to the new NCDesk format. 

Assessment Software

Diagnosing academic performance is essential for improved teaching and learning.  Testing can provide useful information to assess students’ performance data and to recommend appropriate focused instruction.  Guilford County purchased a newer technology-based assessment solution that was implemented during the 2005-06 school year.  

Using ScanTron’s Performance Series, students take online individualized tests that adjust automatically to each student’s ability.  The software generates more difficult questions if the student is answering correctly and easier ones if the student is answering incorrectly.  Educators can pinpoint proficiency levels, tailor instruction to meet student needs or place students in appropriate programs.  Administrators can aggregate and disaggregate data to predict performance and target school assistance.

The Achievement Series enables teachers to create tests using standards-aligned questions from item banks or to construct their own tests.  The tests can be delivered online or scanned by paper.  Results are available immediately and can be used to determine where to focus instruction.

The district plans to generate quarterly student-by-student mastery reports to assist in assessing students’ progress toward end-of-course and end-of-grade objectives.

Distance Learning Opportunities

Distance learning can enhance learning beyond the traditional classroom.  It is often a good option for students that want to work at their own pace, that need an alternative for course credit or for those students that want specialized content to supplement their academic program.  The following are available to students in Guilford County high schools:

NC Information Highway  These classrooms are used for staff training, special events, and to offer classes such as Sports Medicine and Japanese that may otherwise be unavailable because of small enrollments.

Advanced Academics  Several high schools are using Advanced Academics as a means to expand courses offerings.  Advanced Academics delivers rigorous, self-paced courses over the Web in a variety of core subjects and electives.  Students can communicate with supporting teachers and teaching assistants on a 24/7 basis.