J. Michael Conley Elementary School at Southwood
Encyclopedia
J. Michael Conley Elementary School at SouthWood is a public elementary school
located in the SouthWood community of Tallahassee, FL.
. The land on which the school is built was donated by the St. Joe Company, the developer of the SouthWood Community. The school is named in honor of former Leon High School
principal and former Leon County School Board member J. Michael Conley. The founding principal was Ray King, who is now the Director of ESE for the Leon County school district. The founding assistant principal was Evy Friend, who is now the principal of Hawks Rise Elementary School.
wasp. A contest was held during the school's opening weeks to determine the name for the mascot. The winning name was "Buzz." A graphical representation of Buzz was created by Parker McCabe, a local graphic designer.
. This program purports a philosophical commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education. It has received criticism because it requires a $7,000 annual fee to the International Baccalaureate Organization, for which the school receives only a "framework" for a curriculum that requires teachers to spend more time planning and less time teaching.
desktop computer, a mounted Epson digital projector, an Elmo document camera
, a Smart Technologies
interactive whiteboard, a TV tuner and a LightSpeed audio amplification system.
network to the computer, the television network to the TV tuner, the computer and TV tuner to the projector, and the audio amplification system to the ceiling-mounted speaker and infrared microphone receiver.
carts. Students in 4th and 5th grade use the laptops to conduct research, write research papers, create presentations and take assessments. Teachers are always finding new ways to use the laptops with the students. A long-term goal of the school is to obtain a laptop lab for every two 3rd through 5th grade classroom. The school is currently seeking funding for this goal.
for use at school and at home. Teachers primarily use their laptops for lesson planning and communication with parents, administrators and colleagues.
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located in the SouthWood community of Tallahassee, FL.
History
Conley Elementary was established in 2008 and is the newest public elementary school in the Leon County school districtLeon County Schools
Leon County Schools is a school district serving Leon County, Florida and based in Tallahassee.As of the 2004 - 2005 school year, it has about 34,100 students, 2209 teachers and 2100 administrative and support personnel. The current superintendent of schools is Jackie Pons.-History:Education in...
. The land on which the school is built was donated by the St. Joe Company, the developer of the SouthWood Community. The school is named in honor of former Leon High School
Leon High School
Leon High School is a public high school in Tallahassee, Florida. For the 2007-2008 school year, the Florida Department of Education gave the school an "A" rating after its students scored well above the state average on standardized tests in reading and in math...
principal and former Leon County School Board member J. Michael Conley. The founding principal was Ray King, who is now the Director of ESE for the Leon County school district. The founding assistant principal was Evy Friend, who is now the principal of Hawks Rise Elementary School.
Mascot
The school mascot is a yellowjacketYellowjacket
Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries...
wasp. A contest was held during the school's opening weeks to determine the name for the mascot. The winning name was "Buzz." A graphical representation of Buzz was created by Parker McCabe, a local graphic designer.
International Baccalaureate Program
In May 2010, Conley Elementary was granted candidate status for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years ProgramIB Primary Years Programme
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate for students aged 3 to 11. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Years Programme, it is not a prerequisite for it...
. This program purports a philosophical commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education. It has received criticism because it requires a $7,000 annual fee to the International Baccalaureate Organization, for which the school receives only a "framework" for a curriculum that requires teachers to spend more time planning and less time teaching.
Technology
Conley Elementary is known for its progressive use of technology to enhance the learning process. The technology efforts at the school are led by David Schubert, the school's technology coordinator.Hardware
Conley Elementary has standardized on the Apple computing platform. Each classroom at Conley includes an iMacIMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
desktop computer, a mounted Epson digital projector, an Elmo document camera
Document camera
Document cameras, also known as image presenters, visual presenters, digital visualizers, digital overheads, and docucams, are real-time image capture devices for displaying an object to a large audience...
, a Smart Technologies
SMART Technologies
Smart Technologies is a publicly traded company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1987, Smart Technologies is best known as the developer of the Smart Board interactive whiteboard...
interactive whiteboard, a TV tuner and a LightSpeed audio amplification system.
Intelligent Classroom Outlet
The hardware components in each classroom connect to what is called an "Intelligent Classroom Outlet." The ICO includes ports to connect the EthernetEthernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
network to the computer, the television network to the TV tuner, the computer and TV tuner to the projector, and the audio amplification system to the ceiling-mounted speaker and infrared microphone receiver.
iMac Desktop Computer
The desktop computer is the hub of the Intelligent Classroom at Conley Elementary. It is capable of loading websites that include curriculum content, multimedia and information. Teachers use Smart Notebook software to create interactive lesson activities that run on the computer. The computer is connected to the digital projector, so its screen can be shared with students, and to the Smart Board, so the teacher and his or her students can interact via touch with the computer content. The document camera connects to the computer so teachers can write with digital ink on top of documents and save the documents as computer files or on their websites. The desktop computer connects to the audio amplification system to enhance the instructional multimedia experience.Digital projector
An Epson PowerLite digital projector is ceiling-mounted in each classroom. The projector receives video signals from the desktop computer and the TV tuner in the classroom. Documents from the document camera are displayed on the projector through the desktop computer. The image from the digital projector is projected onto the mounted interactive whiteboard. Because most of the multimedia Conley's teachers show comes from the Internet, and because the projector produces a larger image anyway, Conley's founding principal decided not to spend money on television sets for the classroom. This decision provided substantial savings in cost.Document camera
An Elmo document camera is connected to the desktop computer in each classroom. These devices have replaced overhead projectors as a method for displaying paper documents. Teachers at Conley do not have to worry about creating transparencies, as the document camera can show any paper document. Document cameras are also used to demonstrate activities using real objects, such as counting math manipulatives. The document camera is connected to the computer, so students and teachers can write on top of images from the document camera using the Smart Board's digital ink. Teachers can also take snapshots of images from the document camera and include them in computer files or post them on their websites for students and parents to access at home.Audio amplification system
The LightSpeed audio amplification system mixes all of the audio used in the classroom and adds microphones to reduce strain on the teacher's voice and facilitate student participation in whole-group activities. The computer and TV tuner connect to the audio amplification system, which is connected to a ceiling-mounted speaker in the middle of each room. An infrared receiver mounted near the speaker picks up the audio signal from the wireless microphones used for teachers and for students. The teacher microphone is compact and designed to be worn like a necklace, for hands-free operation. The student microphone can be passed around the room and used for helping students take turns in group discussions. The LightSpeed audio amplification system incorporates several research-based technologies that have been shown to improve the engagement of students with attention deficit disorders.Student Classroom Computers
Each Pre-K through 5th grade classroom includes three to five student computers, which are used regularly by students working in instructional software such as SuccessMaker and FASTT Math.iMac Computer Labs
Conley Elementary includes two 24-station iMac computer labs, connected to the north end of the media center. Students visit the computer lab three to five days per week to work in instructional software such as SuccessMaker and FASTT Math.Macbook Laptop Rolling Labs
Conley has two 21-station MacbookMacBook
The MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
carts. Students in 4th and 5th grade use the laptops to conduct research, write research papers, create presentations and take assessments. Teachers are always finding new ways to use the laptops with the students. A long-term goal of the school is to obtain a laptop lab for every two 3rd through 5th grade classroom. The school is currently seeking funding for this goal.
Teacher laptops
Each teacher at Conley Elementary has been issued a MacbookMacBook
The MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
for use at school and at home. Teachers primarily use their laptops for lesson planning and communication with parents, administrators and colleagues.