Technology Overview

Our Vision

The Singapore American School community of students and staff will use technology to develop critical thinking skills, to communicate ideas, to access information, and to solve problems. Technology will be integrated throughout the K-12 curriculum to enhance and support learning. By using technology as a tool, teachers, administrators, and support staff will become more efficient and effective in facilitating and managing the learning environment and fostering lifelong learning.

Technology Goals

Teaching and Learning:

• to increase the use of technology to enhance & support student learning through technology integration across the curriculum as well through computer studies programs.
  
• to improve school-wide use of technology to enhance productivity
  
  • Utilize technology as a tool to enhance learning throughout the curriculum; including critical thinking strategies and problem-based learning practices.
  • Utilize a variety of existing and emerging information and communication technologies within and beyond our school walls to enhance teaching and learning

Professional Development:

• All staff will be given opportunities to equip themselves with basic competencies and enhance their skill levels
  
  • Training & support will be provided on core applications and tools
  • Special considerations will be given to the training needs for subject specific/specialist software

Community Interaction:

• to enhance and improve communication and information exchange with the SAS community grading, school activities, email, parent information, current technology issues

Purchase & Maintenance of Hardware:

• All purchases & efforts to maintain Hardware must support the improvement of student learning and/or teacher productivity without diminishing current levels of support (Division level purchases of hardware will be adhere to division policies)

Selection, Review & Management of Software:

• All purchases & efforts to maintain software must support the improvement of student learning and/or teacher productivity without diminishing current levels of support (Division level purchases of software will be adhere to division policies)
• All prospective software purchases will be centralized through IT in coordination with the curriculum office prior to budget approval and/or purchase

Staffing & Support:

• To provide adequate and timely support for all systems and users
• Staffing needs will be a part of any plans to purchase or support new hardware or software

IT Professional Development Initiatives & Opportunities

Technological goals are dependent upon a well-trained personnel, administrative support, and availability of computers along with other technology tools. The effective uses of technology need to be supported by staff development and in-service opportunities. Technology in-services at SAS are offered both on a pre-planned schedule and on an as-needed basis for all staff k-12.

Currently, time is allocated at the beginning of the year for all newly hired staff in order to help them function at a minimum level, i.e., logging into the network, accessing school’s email client, etc. In addition, the IT department (or outside trainers) also provide in-services to support newly adopted systems and/or programs, both at the beginning of the year and throughout the course of the year, i.e., after school and during professional in-service days.

In addition to the current formal and informal offerings, the IT Dept has purchased an annual subscription to an online learning tool for technology training, Atomic Learning (http://www.atomiclearning.com).

Technology training further needs to be streamlined and consolidated across divisions. For example, the IT Dept proposes that a set of core applications / systems training programs be offered to all employees (cross-divisional) at scheduled intervals throughout the year. It is also proposed that “just-in-time” training be offered by various staff members on a more frequent basis. This is a work in progress.

Teacher Proficiencies:
Faculty members of SAS are required to have a minimum level of proficiency with the school-wide software and systems, as well as with their subject-area and division-specific software. These needs vary from division to division. The divisional Teacher Proficiency Lists will soon be linked from this page and should be used as professional development and/or evaluation tools.

IT Policies