The following infographic posters share insights into the work and organization of our department, and feature a few of our current and future initiatives. These images come from a presentation given by Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology, to the Granite Board of Education in May 2018. Click here to view or download the complete board presentation, or scroll through this post for more information and links to our initiatives and projects. 

Educational Technology and the Granite Way

This infographic illustrates the ways in which the services, programs, and standards provided by Educational Technology integrate with and support the Granite Way, the district’s vision for teaching and learning.

Classroom Technology

This chart illustrates some of the technology provided by our department to support teaching and learning. You can find out a few more details of the kind of technology we provide teachers here, and you can see students and teachers utilizing classroom technology in our teacher spotlights. Administrators can reference the Approved Hardware guidelines and list when determining future technology purchases for their school.

School Technology Support

Among their many responsibilities school technology specialists and library media educational technology specialists oversee technology support for teachers and students, ensuring that equipment and software works properly throughout the school.

Professional Development

As highly qualified teachers, school technology specialists and library media educational technology specialists go far beyond basic technology support, providing on-site professional development, technology integration coaching, and co-teaching with classroom teachers.  Our department also provides numerous professional development opportunities at the district level, including the Educational Technology Endorsement Program, New Teacher Tech Training, the Technology Integration Progress program, and monthly evening training opportunities announced through our EdTech Monthly Newsletter for Teachers.

Library Media

Our department oversees the school library media centers throughout Granite School district. Elementary media clerks provide library services in our elementary schools, while library media educational technology specialists oversee the libraries in secondary schools, supported by media clerks. You can see some of our library staff members in action by scrolling through our library spotlights. Browse and search your school’s library catalog in Destiny, and visit Granite Media, our library media program web page, for more library resources and information, including book reviews written by library staff, teachers, and students in the district.

OverDrive

OverDrive, Granite’s Digital Library, is one of many digital tools and resources provided and managed by the Educational Technology department and Library Media program. Usage of ebooks and audiobooks in OverDrive by students and teachers in Granite has grown to over 100,000 circulations annually. Visit our OverDrive instructions and resources page to learn more about  this service. Visit our Digital Tools and Resources menu and our Technology Integration Progress pages for help with many other tools and resources available to Granite students and teachers.

Granite’s Battle of the Books

Granite’s Battle of the Books is a program for 3rd-6th grade students in participating schools and classrooms. You can find more information about Battle of the Books by visiting botb.edtech.fun, and you can see highlights from the 2018 district competion here.

Granite LEGO League

Our department supports school team involvement with FIRST LEGO league, with over 1,600 student participants from elementary and junior high schools throughout the district. You can see highlights from our 2018 district qualifier here.

Social Media

Our department is active on several social media channels, which you can find linked in the right sidebar of this page. We encourage teachers and other staff to use social media for their personal professional learning and for sharing with the community the exciting things students are learning and doing in our libraries and classrooms. We curate positive Digital Citizenship resources for parents, students, and teachers here, as well as access to technology guidelines for teachers and students here.

Transformational Technology Initiative — Digital Teaching & Learning Grant

Educational Technology administers the Transformational Technology Initiative for elementary schools in Granite School District. You can find more about this program here.

Questions?

If you have questions about any of our programs or services, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can contact a staff member, fill out our request and suggestion form, or reach out to us via the social media links in the right sidebar.