Environment

= The environment = The teacher, Mrs. Jones, has been teaching for three years. She is an avid user of technology. She has a SmartBoard in the classroom, and knows how to use it. Software programs available are Kidspiration, Picture it Power Pack ([] ) Kidpix, Voice Thread, Intellitalk, a text -to-voice word processor, ( [|www.intellitools.com] ) and a host of web 2.0 tools. Mrs. Jones regularly uses these applications, and is always interested in the latest trend in software, shareware, and social networking tools. Her district technology coordinator is a former teacher, and has instituted procedures for obtaining online applications that keep the teachers interested while keeping the network safe. The class is equipped with 4 computers, three scattered around the room in learning centers, and one at the teacher station. The computers each have the latest operating systems, are networked in the school, connected to the Internet, and have a CD rom.

Mrs. Jones has 4 students with disabilities in her classroom. The special education teacher co-teaches with her in order to help her students to access general education curriculum goals. One of the 4 students is gifted.