Instructional Technology

21st Century Classrooms

Here at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind we pride ourselves on our innovative uses of instructional and assistive technology. We ensure students have access the both engaging curriculum and equipment throughout our programs, beginning with the Early Learning Center through the High School Programs. SMART Boards have been used on our campus since the first grant written by middle school teachers was awarded in 1999. After more than 10 years of acquiring SMART Boards and other peripheral devices, almost every group learning space has a SMART Board. In the Blind Department, a technology called Distributed Video is available in many classrooms. This set up allows the content being displayed on the SMART Board to be displayed on a monitor at individual students’ desks.

Hybrid Classrooms

Through the use of an online  program called Edmodo, students begin experiencing learning through an online classroom beginning in some middle school classes. The Deaf High School program has implemented Edmodo throughout the department in many classes. This hybrid learning experience is being used to teach students not only classroom content, but also to develop student skills in the use of technology, communication, independent study, planning, and organization, and advocacy skills.

School Technology Profiles

To support the development of School Improvement Plans and communication among campus committees, working documents called School Technology Profiles are created for both School Programs and Boarding Sites. These documents provide information including:

  • Equipment provided or available in all School classrooms, labs and other facilites
  • Electronic curricular materials and supplemental resources available
  • Pilot and/or demonstration projects
  • Trainers, Teacher Technology Mentors and Distance Learning Facilitators
  • Professional Development Summary and Needs/Recommendations

Teacher Websites

Teachers have websites to share information with parents and the community. Please visit the Programs and Staff page on the FSDB main site and find teachers listed specific to each FSDB School.

Annual Technology “Showcase” Events

  • Tech Fest is an annual showcase in which teachers from throughout the campus demonstrate projects that utilized technology equipment or electronic curricular materials. This event not only allows us to recognize teachers doing amazing things in their classroom, but also allows peers to learn from each other and get new ideas to implement with their students. Following this event, teachers can attend workshops on the technologies showcased so they can begin integrating the new ideas and technologies into their classrooms.
  • Vision Fest is a showcase of Assistive Technologies which benefit learners who are Blind and Visually Impaired. The Coordinator of Assistive Technology from the Blind Department hosts the event annually. Vendors are invited to demonstrate the updates and new technologies and tried-and-true products. This event is also open to staff campus-wide and to parents of our students.
  • Student Technology Showcase is an annual competition open to individual students and student groups campus-wide. Students compete based on categories of technologies. The Teacher Technology Mentors assist in the facilitation of this project, supporting teachers and students in their school programs who want to participate and helping collect the projects being entered into the competition. This project has re-engaged many teachers who became excited to see their student so interested in creating projects.

Mentoring, Training and Support Programs

  • Tech Talk is a monthly event in which staff are invited to learn about innovative and productive ways to use technology. Topics which have been covered so far this year include:
    • What’s on my computer? Who can Help?
    • Google Tools – Search, Calendar, Presentation, Docs and Forms
    • Online Quizzes and Study Tools
  • Teacher Technology Mentors are available to provide long-term support to peers in their school programs in the integration of technology throughout lessons and units. The Tech Mentors collaborate as a Professional Learning Community to ensure they are sharing knowledge and skills with each other and are aware of others’ strengths and interests.
  • Distance Learning Facilitators are in each school program. These teachers provide assistance to their Assistant Principal and others in their schools who utilize distance learning technologies, such as our Webinar Meeting Rooms, Audio-conferencing system, online collaboration tools (Moodle, FirstClass Social Networking, and others). These teachers are the pilot testers for many new technologies, allowing us to have feedback not only about the potential uses, but also about accessibility for our students and staff who are Blind/Visually Impaired and Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
  • Technology Trainers are staff who become advanced users of specific technologies and are willing to teach others to use the technologies. Some of our Tech Trainers are official certified as trainers by the companies/organizations which create the technologies. For example, we have teachers who are Master SMART Certified Trainers, Google Master Teachers, and Florida Master Digital Educators. We also have staff members who have become trainers from other departments on campus, such as our Boarding Department. Trainings and Professional Learning is available through face-to-face workshops and meetings as well as online courses using Moodle and/or Adobe Connect.
  • Summer Institute is a post-planning and/or summer opportunity for teachers and other instructional staff to attend workshops on technology topics. Workshops are provided on instructional and assistive curriculum and programs as well as hardware and devices. We have teachers on campus who present as well as presenters from the statewide discretionary projects that focus on Deafness, Blindness, and Assistive Technology.