Greenfield Center School
Technology Plan
July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2011

Click here to download a PDF copy of the tech plan

Click here to download a Microsoft Word copy of the tech plan

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Section 1: Background Information	Section 2: Vision and Mission Statements
Section 3: Overview of the Technology Planning Process	Section 4: Technology Assessment
Section 5: Technology Goals and Objectives	Section 6: Academic Objectives
Section 7: Technology Professional Development	Section 8: Hardware, Software and Network Stability
Section 9: Future Technologies (Projected Budget)	Section 10: Evaluation Process

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Section 1: Background Information

Community

Greenfield (pop. 18000+ in 2000) is located in the Connecticut River Valley at the eastern foot of the Mohawk Trail in Western Massachusetts, 85 miles west of Boston and 45 miles north of Springfield. Previously governed by a town manager, a five-member board of selectmen, and a 27-member council, it became the Commonwealth's newest City on July 1, 2003, when a mayoral form of government was adopted and Ms. Christine Forgey was elected the city's first mayor. Ms. Forgey assumed office on July 1, 2003 along with a new Town Council consisting of nine councilors (one from each of the city's nine precincts), and four at-large members.

Greenfield is the county seat of Franklin County and home of Greenfield Community College. According to the 2000 US Census report, the composition of the population is characterized as: 92% Caucasian, 2% African American, 1% American Indian, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander, 4% Hispanic, and 3% Other. Situated in the most rural county in Massachusetts, the city does not fit the "official" description of "rural" in that population numbers roughly 850 people square mile. However, the city has a distinctly rural outlook.

Greenfield Center School

Greenfield Center School (GCS) is an independent day school for students in Kindergarten through Middle School (K-8). Integrating social and academic learning in every aspect of the school day, it develops strong learning communities to give area children an excellent education. School philosophy emphasizes both the building of community and celebration of the individual. Classroom settings foster opportunities for creativity, problem-solving and contributing to a more just and humane world. Over a period of 2-3 months during the course of an academic year, children explore learning themes in depth, integrating the arts as well as social and ethical issues in their studies. Students investigate multiple aspects of the subject and demonstrate understanding using a variety of expressive forms (including visual and performing arts, writing, dioramas, and verbal presentation). The school advocates a developmental approach to education with the understanding that children grow at different rates and need to balance physical, social, emotional, and intellectual learning.

School facilities are located on a campus that consists of three buildings: The main building (known as the Brick Building) houses the elementary school classrooms, along with the offices of the Executive Director and Admissions; the Finer Building houses the Middle School (grades 6-8) and the All School assembly hall; and the Yellow House, provides additional space for administration (the business office, Development & Admissions, the office of the Technology Coordinator, and a special room for the network server). A fiber optic cable connects all three buildings and forms the backbone of the school's wide area network for electronic data sharing and Internet access.

Page last updates: February 20, 2008