Imagine traveling from a one-room schoolhouse in rural Utah to the district office 100 miles away, only to find the superintendent has been called away to an emergency meeting. You wanted to call before you hit the road, but it was so early, school offices weren't even opened yet.
This scenario may have occurred a few years ago, but it need never happen again thanks to the use of handheld computers.
"We hired a new superintendent three years ago who was very innovative," explains Kevin Chapman, technology director for the Millard School District, which serves about 3,300 K-12 students, some as far away as the Nevada border. "We wanted everyone's schedule for communication purposes so we started using scheduling programs like WeSync to share calendars with each other."
Currently, all of the district's board members, school technology coordinators, principals, and the superintendent use a handheld computer. Board members, says Chapman, use them for policy review and to transfer notes back and forth prior to coming together for a meeting. "They can stick a handheld in their shirt pocket rather than carry a loose leaf binder around all day. Then they can upload files and have changes seen on their laptop computer."
Improved Communication is Key
Dave Corey, applied technology in education director, and Greg Chappell, principal of Fillmore Middle School, agree that handhelds improve communication among school administrators.
"I use it to keep track of my schedule, and the superintendent always knows where we are so he can look at my calendar and schedule a meeting," Corey says. "We use it in place of faxes and memos."
"It does make a lot of things easier," Chappell adds. "I used to use a day planner. Now I just click on a couple of buttons to check schedules or change schedules. Schedules are so dynamic so I especially like being able to check those."
And although he has no hard data to support it, Chappell believes his use of handhelds creates student interest in technology.
"Anytime students see you using technology, they're interested," he says. "They want to see it, touch it, use it."
Chapman agrees that when administrators began using technology, the benefits trickled down to the classroom in unexpected ways. "We forced change upon the board members so they understand when teachers have change forced upon them," he explains.
In addition, Chapman says administrators have become amenable to his ideas. "When I come in with a proposal for new technology, they are more receptive and understand what I'm talking about. It's made them more technology savvy and more technology friendly."
Looking Toward the Future
Chapman knows the possibilities that handhelds hold for his district and hopes to tap into those possibilities in the near future, such as tracking student schedules and loading teacher evaluation forms.
"If Johnny is found in the school yard, the principal can download his schedule and find out if he belongs in class," he says.
Chappell agrees. "I would love to have access to students' schedules and records. If I'm down the hall, I could ask a student how they're doing in class. They always say, 'Pretty good,' but then I'd be able to say, 'Let's look,' rather than having to go to the office. And there are so many times you're in the hallway or the parking lot. It would be nice to be able to check attendance."
In terms of teacher evaluations, Chapman foresees a time when the principal can sit in the back of a classroom, mark areas on an electronic form and then review it with the teacher.
"It would be a lot less menacing than a clipboard," he says.
Chapman, of course, would love to see handhelds used in all of his district's classes, but due to budget limitations, he'll have to settle for never worrying about last minute schedule changes.
For more information about administrative uses of handhelds, contact Chapman at 435.864.5699.
