Cobb School Montessori Simsbury, Connecticut Founded in 1974 Helping children learn by giving them a safe place and the guidance where the child can get excited about what they are learning. As well as letting the child learn at their own pace. “Believe, Guide, Step Aside, Let Fly” (Cobb School 2009)

Basic Montessori learning tools  Children learn practical life skills such as using dressing frames. This helps build fine and gross motor skills and how to care for their environment.  Using sand paper letters to learn how to write letters in the alphabet.  Spindle boxes help the children start learn how to count and separate into different quantities. Dressing Frame Sand Paper Letters Spindle boxes

Ways to use the basic learning tools of Montessori with technology  If the children were able to video record themselves when doing a dressing frame about tying bows they would be able to later look at the video and refresh themselves on how to tie a bow if they were having difficulty.  The children could us the Smartboards to practice writing their letters that they learned with the Sand Paper Letters and eventually put those letters together to make words.  The Smartboards would also be useful to make and solve math problems on while using the Spindle Boxes.

How technology could be used in the classroom  Having a Smartboard in each classroom to use instead of blackboards would be a good way to slowly introduce technology into the classroom for the school.  The use of a Smartboard in the classroom could help the teacher present the information to the whole class clearly.  Playing educational games with the whole class relating to the topic being discussed.  Having iPads in the Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms for individual students to use for various things such as for research and educational game purposes.

How to prepare for the use of the technological equipment Training  Faculty and Staff will be taught during a professional development meeting by an outside professional.  Students and Parents could learn at a family fun night taught by faculty and staff.  Parents will also be able to talk to a specific staff member if they have questions about the iPads and how to operate them during the school year. Financing  Will need to incorporate insurance for iPads into the tuition of the older children who will be in the classes with the iPads.  Budgeting for all the equipment needs to be planned out.  The parents will need to cover the costs of insurance while the school will cover the costs of everything else.

Technology Trends  Multi purpose technologies.  Using laptops and tablets for multiple such as using them to do research on the Internet, writing reports, and either taking or uploading pictures or videos to use with the reports.  Encouragement from parents at home.  Parents should encourage their children to use educational websites to continue learning at home.  Some examples of educational online games are math and literacy games.

The importance of budgeting  Budgeting allows the administration and board to plan ahead for what the school needs to keep progressing and being able to afford those changes.  Some changes include adding more technology to the classrooms.  Allowing the parents of the school to have a say in how some of the money is spent since they are paying tuition.  Planning fundraisers so that the tuition will be reduced.

Cobb School 2017 Vision Challenges  Budgeting  Parent Support  Training for staff and faculty regarding how to use the new technology  Providing resources for the teachers to help the teach their students about the new equipment  Researching which technological devices to invest in Opportunities  Gaining new families who are interested in their children using technology  Profits go up if new families join the school  Students will be able to use the equipment in school work  Playing group based games in the classroom  Getting the 6 th graders use to using technologies in their studies since they will need to know how when they transition on to higher education

Ways to get the 2017 Vision started  Administration and Board Members meet to make up a budget  Look into different types of devices and compare price and quality  Ask suppliers if there are any discounts when buying the equipment in bulk

Getting the Parents involved  Parents could form a committee to help with budgeting  Form a committee to be a support group for parents who need assistance with using the technology with their children  Coming up with fundraising ideas to help cover the costs of the equipment