District Administration - April 2008 - (Page 18)

BRIEFINGS Curriculum NOAH TONK’S TWELFTHGRADE English classroom at Cienega High School in Vail, Ariz., is a prime example of what 21st-century teaching can achieve. Tonk uses ProfCast (www.profcast.com) to sync recorded lecture audio with PowerPoint or Keynote slides, turning them into QuickTime movies for podcasting, and then publishes them to the Web using RapidWeaver (www.realmacsoftware.com). Additionally, he uses Wikispaces for educators (www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers) to permit research-project collaboration, and Jing (www.jingproject.com) for recording anything occurring on his computer desktop. “We’ve been using a wiki to do a research project on novels right now. Students research the Internet, record class notes and work in groups, then post it all to the Wiki. All three of my AP sections, for example, are using it for exam review,” says Tonk. Students can open lessons directly in a Web browser, download a ﬁle, and then open them in QuickTime, or they can use iTunes to subscribe to Tonk’s latest podcast. “A classroom environment has been created where students can review les- By Ken Royal Creating Technology Literate Educators Tonk believes that what he does is not diﬃcult for even the beginning technoeducators to duplicate. “If it takes me longer than ten minutes to learn how to use—I don’t have time for that,” says Tonk, who enjoys sharing with others. Matt Federoﬀ, district technology director, gives credit to the district’s 10-year-old Computer Literacy Incentive Program (CLIP), which lets teachers earn laptops. Teachers who pass six competencies get a laptop, and at the end of three years they own it. Federoﬀ says these “Clippers” know how to use the computer because they’ve received the training. He believes that earning laptops makes the program successful. Federoﬀ says, “I have two teams, one of which works for me as technology specialists—making sure everything is up and running—and another group made up of classroom teachers. The latter group gives me feedback for what works and what doesn’t. According to Federoﬀ, VSD’s acceptable use policy is reasonably expansive, so teachers can create without being stiﬂed. “IT has power in what it enables—not in what it controls.” Cienega High School (Vail, Ariz.) teacher Noah Tonk orchestrates seamless technology in his classroom. sons at any time. It’s an open door that I want shared among all high school teachers and our middle schools,” says CHS principal Tricia Pena. The Vail School District (VSD) also uses PowerSchool and PowerTeacher by Pearson (www .pearsoned.com) to make parent-teacher conferences more productive by allowing more time to be spent on interpretation, rather than on the grades parents already know, said Pena. HELP Science A NEW SCIENCE AND MATH PROGRAM, HELP SCIENCE HELPING WITH English Language Proﬁciency), is being funded and developed this year through a $50,000 Motorola Foundation Innovative Generation grant. The program will address the English language barrier, a major drawback to science learning. The pilot is being led by two California State University at Fullerton assistant professors of secondary education, Mark Ellis and Maria Grant. According to Ellis, who also taught middle and high school science and math, “Middle school is the time when you can reach students who have fallen behind in understanding and knowledge.” Grant also sees the science program as a way to help K8 teachers, who have little science teaching background. HELP Science will use research-based, multimedia lessons that make scientiﬁc terms and concepts more understandable, therefore reducing the language obstacle. HELP Science will collaborate with Digital Directions International, aﬃ liated with Rocky Mountain PBS, which has already developed instructional technology techniques in the HELP Math program, backed by the U.S. Department of Education. www.helpprogram.net 18 April 2008 District Administration http://www.profcast.com http://www.realmacsoftware.com http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers http://www.jingproject.com http://www.pearsoned.com http://www.pearsoned.com http://www.helpprogram.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2008

District Administration - April 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology
Facilities & Construction
Curriculum
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Profit and Loss in School-Business Partnerships
The Broad Way
Big Macs for Big Grades
Hometown Success
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Speaking Out
Crisis Response
New Products
Problem/Solution
Computer Literature
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - April 2008