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NYS Ed Tech Innovators

Marlboro Central School District - Student “Tech Squads”

The Marlboro Central School District has formed groups of students in each school who are working with faculty and staff to implement cutting-edge technology in our classrooms.  Students interested in joining our Tech Squads went through a rigorous application process that provided them with several real-world job search and interviewing skills. Tech Squad students were introduced to staff on Opening Day during a presentation that highlighted “Our Technology Journey.” Following the presentation, students were assigned to all three of our schools, facilitating Twitter workshops for teachers and helping teachers in technology setup in their classrooms.

The Marlboro Central School District has formed groups of students in each school who are working with faculty and staff to implement cutting-edge technology in our classrooms. Referred to as “Tech Squads,” the goals for each group who are located in each of our buildings include assisting staff in developing technology skills to embed technology into their classroom instruction, as well as increasing student engagement and preparing our students to be competitive in the global world. Our Tech Squads will be instrumental as we continue to implement a 1:1 Chromebook Initiative in Grades 6-12 over the next several years.
 
Students interested in joining our Tech Squads went through a rigorous application process that provided them with several real-world job search and interviewing skills:
  • Application
  • Formation of Faculty Committees
  • Development of Student Roles and Responsibilities
  • Teacher Recommendation Surveys
  • Résumé Workshops for Students
  • Student Interviews
  • T-Shirts Designed for Selected Students
  • Summer Workshops for Students on Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety

Tech Squad students were introduced to staff on Opening Day during a presentation that introduced “Our Technology Journey.”  Following the presentation, students were assigned at all three of our schools, facilitating Twitter workshops for teachers and helping teachers set up technology in their classrooms.  So far this year, these students have assisted in the distribution of Chromebooks to 9th grade students during Freshman Orientation, parent presentations at the Marlboro Middle School’s Power-Up Night and have been assisting with Open Houses in all three schools. Marlboro Middle School is offering a TV Studio Club after school to further support this initiative. Tech Squad students in the Marlboro Elementary School have also been working as “buddies” with students in Grades K-2, helping them develop the skills necessary to use iPads and Chromebooks successfully in the classroom. 

At Marlboro Elementary School, the many activities that our Tech Squad students have been engaging in have been chronicled in newsletters that have been shared with district staff and the community. At Marlboro Middle School, Tech Squad students have created a Google Site with information students can use to help them effectively use Chromebooks in the classroom.  They have also included information that teachers can use as they work to incorporate Chromebooks into their classroom instruction. Additionally, the Tech Squad students at Marlboro High School and Marlboro Middle School will be attending a Google Certification, Level 1 Bootcamp that will be run by the Instructional Technology Staff from Orange-Ulster BOCES.  This will allow them to further enhance their technology skills and become even more knowledgeable about Google’s many applications and how they can be used to assist both their peers and their teachers in the classroom.

Contact

Robin Hecht, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Marlboro Central School District, robin.hecht@marlboroschools.org