District Administration - May 2007 - (Page 22)

BRIEFINGS CurriculumUpdate Teaching with Tablets IN 2005 WASHINGTON’S KENT School District had a 4:1 student-tocomputer ratio. District oﬃcials began looking at 1:1 solutions and how instruction and data could be better delivered to the fourth-largest school district in the state. The district began a ninety-student pilot program at the Mill Creek Middle School, using the beta-release TC4200 Hewlett-Packard tablets. The pen interface allowed students to balance math equations and solve problems that couldn’t easily be done with just a laptop. HP’s extended life, eight-hour batteries meant that students didn’t have to worry about losing power in the middle of the school day. Kent purchased a class server as a management system to share teacher-created lessons, homework and discussions throughout the district. The project has changed the way teachers teach and how students access TeacherTube, the YouTube for Educators TeacherTube, which launched in March, is a free online teacher community for posting and viewing educator-made instructional videos. Teachers can post videos designed for classroom use, and administrators can use the site for professional development and teacher mentoring. Jason Smith, a fourteen-year veteran teacher and administrator, along with his information at school and home. It has increased parent participation and student responsibility while decreasing discipline problems. Students are responsible for the same tablet throughout their school stay. If repairs are needed, loaner machines are available, but the students always get their original tablets back. The project will be replicated throughout the entire district within the next four years. www.kent.k12.wa.us Formative Assessments Online USING STI’S WEBBASED ASSESSMENT system, Montgomery Public Schools in Alabama and Bay District Schools in Panama City, Fla., conduct online or paper tests and receive immediate results. Administrators can continuously assess and monitor student mastery of standards and identify areas of improvement. Administrators, teachers and parents can view online reports. “Our goal is to empower our teachers with real-time data and provide concrete measures of how students are progressing toward meeting state and national standards,” says Michael Lenhart, Montgomery Public Schools’ assistant superintendent. Lenny Willis, executive director of curriculum and instructional services at Bay District Schools, says “STI provides teachers with diagnostic tools that allow them to pinpoint student strengths and weaknesses so they can adjust instruction to meet student needs.” www.sti-k12.com 22 May 2007 District Administration digital-native and tech-savvy brother, created the site. TeacherTube community members can upload, tag and share videos worldwide; browse uploaded videos; join and create video groups; save favorites and create playlists; and make their videos public or private. Videos must be appropriate and address speciﬁc learning objectives and/or provide professional development for educators. They cannot include advertisements or business solicitations. www.teachertube.com http://www.teachertube.com http://www.kent.k12.wa.us http://www.teachertube.com http://www.sti-k12.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2007

Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profi le
Focal Points for Pre-K8 Math
Games Students Play
Healthy Choices
Tragic Lessons
Learning with Personal Media Players
New Products
Computer Literature
Problem Solution
Professional Opinion
Speaking Out
Online Edge
Calendar of Events
Research Corner

District Administration - May 2007