An Intuitive Collaboration Tool for Teachers and Students By Cassie Dove T - BOX PLANET

TBOX Planet

TBOX - School

T-Box School T-Box School is a tool that helps you manage your school right over the Internet. Tasks such as student record creation and modification, score management, student attendance lists, and parent-teacher communication, among others, are handled by the platform.

What is TBOX - School? T-Box is a solution which promotes and potentiates the creative, responsible, and safe use of technology within education. T-Box comprises three key elements:

Educational Technology Curriculum An educational technology curriculum for every school grade. This includes all the materials necessary to implement the solution effectively: teacher guides, student workbooks, and electronic resources.

An Internet Platform An Internet platform with multiple services for students, teachers, and parents. This platform is called "T-Box Planet" and is based on web 2.0 technologies, which facilitate communication, collaboration, and exchange between every member of the educational community.

Training Training and assistance for IT instructors and teachers. T-Box works closely with schools to train teachers, provide expert advice, and monitor project progress.

Why is this good for teachers? Keep track of student attendance and permissions. Set the score calculation formulas for each subject. Assign different ratings and percentages to each of the evaluated components. Schedule parent-teacher meetings. Consult students' electronic records immediately. Access news, calendar, and administrative school documents.

Why is this good for students? View a detailed compendium of their grades in real time, thus providing them with a "snapshot" of their performance. Check their attendance record and permissions. Access their class and exam schedule. Read the school news and consult the school calendar. Consult any agreements or propositions which have taken place in the parent-teacher meetings

Why is this good for parents? Access their children's electronic school record. View a detailed compendium of their children's grades in real time, thus providing them with a "snapshot" of their performance. Check their children's attendance record and permissions. Read the school news and consult the school calendar. Obtain their children's exam schedule. Receive invitations for parent-teacher meetings.

Why is this good for the school? T-Box School allows administrative staff and teachers to access up- to-date information regarding student performance. This promotes dynamic and transparent school management. Schools save money as they do not need to invest in technological infrastructure, such as servers or specialized programs. The information is securely stored on high-tech servers which regularly backup the school's data. T-Box School is accessed via the Internet, allowing users to connect anytime, anywhere. In addition, T-Box School runs on all major operating systems and Web browsers. T-Box School may be tailored to the needs of each school and is available in English and Spanish. T-Box provides training and technical assistance whenever needed. Divide the school year into periods, such as semesters, trimesters, or bi-mesters. Customize the formula used to evaluate the school subjects. This mechanism may be further customized by each teacher.

How does this affect the IT department? Record and manage all user accounts. Create and manage each grade and section within the school. Access statistical reports with up-to-date information.

Online collaboration Teachers can collaborate in real time. Teachers can communicate through live chat function with teachers, parents and teachers. Administrators can communicate with teachers in real-time. Parents and teachers can have conferences anytime.

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Cost of implementing T-BOX TBOX can be hosted remotely considerably reducing cost. TBOX can be hosted on site through the district, IT support can be trained or provided for onsite support. Training for administrators (1 week training on site) Training for teachers (1 on site work day)

Administrators as change agents Administrators which include principals, support staff, counselors, and district personnel should be trained initially. Administrators need to be trainers in order to encourage innovation. Once implemented administrators need to support and encourage implementation of system.

Why we should adopt T-BOX Many parents find that teacher/parent time is extremely limited. Communications suffer and students fall significantly behind in their school work. Administrators can communicate absences, students sent home, and other issues in real time. Students can contribute to class work if sick or at home.

WHAT STANDARDS DOES T-BOX BASE ITSELF ON? T-Box bases its academic proposal on international educational technology standards. T-Box is based on the following international educational technology standards:

Standards 1. NETS from ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). 2. Cambridge ICT Starters Standard from Cambridge University. 3. Microsoft Office Specialist Standard from Microsoft. 4. Adobe Certified Associate Standard from Adobe and Certiport.

Questions? What do you think? How can we move forward? Change agents? How to be the champion and what I will do next.

References Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York, NY: Free Press.