Intensive Site School
in Alabama

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School Facts Principal- Howard Robinson Contact- Charlotte Carr Grades:K-6 # of students: 480 # of teachers: 41 classroom computers: 82 media center computers:6 computer lab computers:12 Internet points: 82 Technology team: yes Technology plan: yes

Powell Elementary School 1640 Tune Avenue Florence, AL 35630 (205)764-2161

Powell Elementary School, in Florence, AL, serves about 500 students in grades K-5. Located in northwestern Alabama, Powell enjoys excellent support from both the City Council and the Board of Education. Approximately $1.6 million of raised revenue has been dedicated to technology. The school is completely wired and every classroom has at least two computers. Each classroom also has access to the school's on-line card catalog, located in the new media center.The media center contains student workstations for searching CD-ROM reference discs and the Internet. Another resource and provider of support is the University of North Alabama in Florence, which is a leading employer for residents.

A Story to Tell: The Value of Just-in-Time Mentors
The staff of Powell Elementary School has had many opportunities to participate in an extensive program of staff development on technology products and applications to the classroom. Most of these courses have been offered by the school district, many in collaboration with the University of North Alabama. Like colleagues in many schools, they have taken the courses and tried to implement the ideas in their classrooms. What is different at Powell is that the implementation efforts have not ceased after the first few attempts or the first technical problem. Staff members seeking out mentors among their colleagues have made the difference. They know which colleagues to ask for technical tips and which ones to consult on technology integration strategies. These "Just-in-Time Mentors" are not special technology teachers. They remain classroom teachers with a full student load just like the other staff members. They help their fellow teachers amongst all their other responsibilities. By some being mentors on one technology resource or technical skill and some in another area, they are working together to improve their comfort level in using technology for their own classroom needs and for leading students in the use of technology as a tool for learning.

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