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EETT Program integrates technology as an essential instructional
tool
Student-powered integration
enhances 21st Century skills
Area teachers and students from 30 public and private
middle schools in the HFM BOCES and WSWHE BOCES region
are collaborating to use technology as a tool to improve
student performance in English language arts,
mathematics and science. This grant-funded Enhancing
Education Through Technology program helps meet the
federal goal that all students will demonstrate
technology literacy by the end of eighth grade.
Students in today’s schools enter a different world than
that of their parents. “Twenty-first century” skills beyond
traditional core subject areas include:
• learning and thinking
skills such as problem solving, creativity, and
collaboration
• civic, cultural and
global awareness
• life skills such as
ethics and leadership
• technology,
information and media literacy
Technology integration allows all students to
explore this new world in their classes, and reach
beyond the walls of their classroom to the world beyond.
In addition, students involved in technology planning
and implementation have the opportunity to collaborate
with adults to solve real world problems — true
twenty-first
century skills.
 Digital
Learning Specialists Network
Imagine a network of tech-savvy teachers ready to help integrate
the newest technology into any learning environment, willing to
support and model the effective use of that technology as an
instructional tool, and able to share best practices and deliver
effective professional development experiences that mentor and
equip colleagues in their building, district and BOCES region.
Digital Learning Specialists (DLS) are a growing network of
instructors trained to implement the newest technologies in
support of data-driven instruction. This team of mentoring
teachers will help grow a technologically-aware culture among
component schools that benefits from enhanced communication and
the dynamic use of technology in the classroom.
The goal, of course, is sustaining student interest and
improving student achievement, and the involvement of digital
learning specialists in the
integration of technology as an instructional tool helps cross
that “digital divide” between past practices and today’s
students. Digital
Learning Specialists are supported in their efforts to integrate
technology by the New York State Student
Technology Leader clubs.
 National
Partnership
Partnering with a national organization, Generation Yes and its
founder Dr. Dennis Harper, HFM BOCES’ two-year Enhancing
Education Through Technology grant provides for the 30
participating districts to develop and sponsor active New York
State Student Technology Leader clubs.
This summer, middle-school students attended a week-long camp
where they learned leadership strategies to assist their
peers in demonstrating their technology literacy. The students
also gained skills to assist their teachers on how to infuse
technology into classroom lessons with the goals of sustaining
student interest and improving student achievement.
New
York State Student Technology Leaders (NYSSTL)
 Today’s
students — a digital generation raised with computers and
technology pervading their lives — will play an important role in
the use of technology in the classroom. District-sponsored
technology clubs teach middle school students leadership
strategies and how technology is used in education, and then
partner students and teachers together. These teams produce
standards-aligned, technology-infused lessons for the teacher’s
classroom. Student
Technology Leaders help other students learn and demonstrate a
mastery of technology by tutoring and helping evaluate
technology projects that all students will create.
The NYSSTL Online
Network provides a forum for Student Technology Leaders from
around the state to share their ideas and accomplishments, solve
problems and collaborate to create a wide network of student
leaders in New York State.
Who will become technology literate?
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