Charlotte Central Schools Information Technology Program

 Provided by Ed Bianchi, Mike Kanfer, and Nancy Myrick 

The CCS Technology Support Team

Information Technology is provided for all students at Charlotte Central School as an essential tool to support their learning.  We are currently implementing Vermont's new Technology Grade Expectations.  To view these expectations, click here.

At CCS, your information technology support team is committed to providing each member of the Charlotte Central School family with the best possible support.  We maintain over 200 computer workstations, 100 staff accounts and over 250 student accounts.  We operate a Windows 2003 network with Windows XP workstations.  We have a student to workstation ratio of 4:1 o­n the intermediate and middle levels and 7:1 o­n the primary level.  Our library has 26 additional workstations including a 22 computer lab for instructional use.  We feel fortunate to have a school board and a community who are willing to maintain a strong commitment to providing our students with the best possible information access. 

Information technology is essential in today's educational system.  Aligned with the Vermont State Standards, the use of information technology is a potent asset to life-long learning and success in the work world.  It is our mission to provide a high quality information technology system, with the goal of creating a technologically literate graduate. Our students must be prepared to meet the challenges and expectations of the information-age.

Information technology in the broadest sense is communication.  Computing technologies allow us to create, manage, problem solve, and access and use information.  In an educational setting, information technology should provide students with a variety of enriching ideas and experiences that foster intellectual curiosity and achievement.  When we talk about the use of information technology in education, we must always remember that it is a means, not an end to itself.

Information technology is a tool that supports all the curricular areas and can be integrated into all areas of Vermont 's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities.  For example, CCS students use CD-ROM interactive books to internalize reading and writing.  These books provide multi-dimensional understanding through sound, motion, and personal involvement.  Also, current research tools offer students and teachers immediate access to vast pools of information that challenge and extend their learning.  Writing and presentation tools allow students to refine their thinking and to communicate to any audience. Using video input or current software, such as Music Time, the WEB Project allows our students to create, document, share, and assess their artistic pieces beyond the classroom walls as part of a global community.  There are specific skills that need to be taught so that students can make use of these valuable tools.  It is important to note that most of these skills are not taught in isolation but are integrated into the curriculum and aligned with the Vermont 's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities.