Introduction

**Introduction**

Cecil County Public Schools focuses on the importance of technology in current teaching strategies. The county is making progress with investing in new technologies for its classrooms. Every classroom has at least one computer that has Internet access. In Perryville High School, all but seven classrooms have a projector mounted on the ceiling. Twelve of the classrooms have SMART Boards installed in them. There are a total of six stationary computer labs, five mobile laptop carts, and five mini stationary labs within classrooms. It is apparent that there is an abundance of technology equipment in the building and teachers want more. Teachers know that students enjoy seeing and using technology in their classes. Unfortunately, not every teacher knows how to incorporate technology into their lesson plans effectively. Since technology exists in the building, and in order to prepare students for their future, every teacher needs to use some form of technology in every unit.

Our vision is that all students, parents, and educators will use technology to enhance the learning process. We want to prepare our students for what the future holds by delivering enriched lessons that incorporate new technologies. With constant use, all stakeholders will feel comfortable and be confident in using technology to expand the educational opportunities for all learners. In order to reach our goal, every teacher needs to embrace learning new teaching techniques that include new technologies.

One form of technology new to Perryville High School is the SMART Board with the Notebook software by SMART Technologies. Both students and teachers are excited to use this new tool. To get the most out of this device, teachers need to learn how to use it effectively in the classroom. The purpose of this plan is to illustrate the importance of increasing the use of new technologies in the classroom and how to properly integrate it to maximize student success. The creation of interactive lessons using the Notebook software will be the solution for teachers who do not know how to incorporate technology into their lesson plans. With proper training and integration, not only will using a SMART Board with the Notebook software align us with the Maryland Technology Literacy Standards, it will also allow every student the equal opportunity to experience this new piece of technology and help them all to become more involved and motivated to learn.