Italy ISD has a new website and a new Technology Director
Kevin Witte — Kevin Witte, the new Italy ISD Technology Director. (Submitted photo)
With the hiring of the new technology director, Kevin Witte, Italy ISD boasts a new website. If you take a quick peek, you might think it’s kind of fancy and easily readable. "We are now using a Content Management System which allows us to easily input and control a variety of information and school news by multiple authors, managers and publishers.
“We launched the new site just after school began. All secondary teachers currently have access to their sections and next week elementary teachers will gain access and begin working on their pages,” Witte explained. “The teacher pages were our main objective in implementing a new site. They will help increase the quantity and quality of information available to parents, while assisting the students’ technology integration skills.”
The newest items available on the website include teacher pages, an Italy ISD News section, Events Calendar, site search engine, and greater accessibility. “All traditional information is still on our website: district reports, school board agendas and minutes, administration forms, administrative and faculty contacts,” Witte said. “We tried to be more handicap sensitive with easily enlarged text for the visually impaired, image tags for those using speech synthesizers. Compressed graphics and photos to reduce load time when using dial-up or alternate means to download the site.”
Mr. Witte said, “The Italy ISD News section houses admin announcements, classroom news, sports and extracurricular items, honors and student works. While not our initial focus, I’m sure we have some teachers anxious to start using this feature before long. Each teacher has pages for his or introduction, daily schedule, announcements, lesson plans or assignments and any web links they may recommend to their students and parents.”
A teacher’s web page can accessed in 3 easy steps:
- Visit Italy ISD on the web at www.italyisd.info or www.italyisd.org
- Select a campus and view the TEACHER PAGES menu on the right
- Click on the name of a teacher to launch his or her section
Our Events Calendar is worth a look too," Witte said. “Most parents find it difficult to keep up with the various calendars and engagements their kids bring home. We hope this is a step toward simplifying some of that. The calendar includes a category for special community events. Teachers, coaches or other event organizers can email the details of events they would like added.”
Speaking with his wife for a little background, Tiffany was eager to let me know how Kevin arrived in Italy. “Kevin, originally from Waco, attended Texas State Technical College and graduated in 2000, which taught the hands-on technical side of operating and repairing computers. He immediately started working at Tomball ISD. He started as a technician and steadily worked up, serving Tomball, Bryan and Hubbard school districts. Kevin feels that his technical knowledge of the equipment at the component level aids in his duties as a Technology Director.”
Tiffany mentioned that after meeting with superintendent, Jimmie Malone, Kevin was “sold on the move. He feels strongly about providing advancing technology integration to prepare students for higher education and modern careers.”
Kevin and wife, Tiffany, moved to Italy just before school started. They have three sons: Jacob is a 6th grader at Stafford, Shane is 2 and a half, and Kaleb is 1.