Lowell High School hosted a career fair on Tuesday evening October 19. The event was sponsored through the generous support of Dr. Leonard Anglis, local dentist, and Mrs. Nancy Anglis.
Mrs. Mary Cusic, LHS English teacher, assisted Dr. and Mrs. Anglis in making arrangements for the many presenters ranging from college representatives, to law enforcement, logistics, apprenticeship programs, and the trades.
The evening venue allowed parents to explore careers and gather information from colleges both in- and out-of-state. Approximately 500 students and parents attended.
Monday, October 25, 2010
LHS Band Brings Home Gold
ISSMA trophies: Left district gold; middle: Regional Gold; Right: Semi-state Gold
The Lowell HIgh School Band brought home gold from the Indiana State Student Music Association (ISSMA) competition in Indianpolis on Saturday,October 23.
The band has set it's goal for next year to add a fourth that is even taller and shinier!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Students create, collaborate using Google Apps for Education
Colorado teacher is using Google Apps for Education to allow her students to create online portfolios and complete projects online. The program also allows students and teachers to view students' work and provide feedback. "I just talked to a kindergarten teacher yesterday who's ready to get kids on Google Apps," the district education-technology specialist said. "The demand is huge, and it seems to be meeting a need in this 21st-century learning environment."
Lowell Middle School Principal Reid Gault routinely uses Google apps as a method of communication with his staff and is encouraging teachers to use the technology which is free and promotes writing and communication skills.
http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=155212&catid=509
Lowell Middle School Principal Reid Gault routinely uses Google apps as a method of communication with his staff and is encouraging teachers to use the technology which is free and promotes writing and communication skills.
http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=155212&catid=509
Why Teachers Need to Increase Their Web Presence
An education-technology specialist and former teacher says that educators need to increase their Web presence and technology know-how. Will Richardson, an author and co-founder of Powerful Learning Practice, an online professional-development provider for teachers, says that while today's students are "digital natives," there is still a role for educators in helping students learn how to use these tools effectively.
The building administrators and I were privileged to hear Mr. Richardson's presentation at a conference on October 20. He not only encourages teachers to have a web presence, but he advocates the same for students. He provides common sense approaches to ensuring that our students meet the 21st Century learning skills that are so essential for the future of our youth, our community, our state, our nation, and our global significance!
http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01richardson.h04.html
The building administrators and I were privileged to hear Mr. Richardson's presentation at a conference on October 20. He not only encourages teachers to have a web presence, but he advocates the same for students. He provides common sense approaches to ensuring that our students meet the 21st Century learning skills that are so essential for the future of our youth, our community, our state, our nation, and our global significance!
http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01richardson.h04.html
A How-to On Using Wikies with Elementary Students
Some elementary-school teachers are using wikis to manage classroom projects, facilitate student collaboration and as a portal for parents to view students' work. The technology provides a medium for allowing students to develop content with a broader audience in mind, one teacher said. "That's pretty powerful, and it prompts them to be more conscientious about the quality and depth of their writing." But wikis pose challenges, requiring teachers to keep an eye on the content students are posting and track multiple passwords
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/10/20/wikis-pulling-it-all-together-online.aspx
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/10/20/wikis-pulling-it-all-together-online.aspx
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Viability of Online Education for Professional Development
Please check out the case study "Anytime, Anywhere Professional Development" which describes success of asynchronous learning for teachers and staff.
The convenience of on-line learning is supported by the effectiveness of the process.
http://www.aasa.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/Journals/AASA_Journal_of_Scholarship_and_Practice/JSPFall10.pdf
The convenience of on-line learning is supported by the effectiveness of the process.
http://www.aasa.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/Journals/AASA_Journal_of_Scholarship_and_Practice/JSPFall10.pdf
How to use GPS technology in the classroom
Teachers nationwide are finding more uses for global positioning systems in allowing students to tackle real-world problems. Suggestions include using GPS technology in the classroom to map and collect data on trees on school property or using it to study historic sites. "It's a natural bridge to use GPS and geocaching to develop kids' awareness to their location, their community, and their environment," an instructional-technology specialist said. "They start to understand where they are."
Check out the rest of the article at the link below.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/10/20/01gps.h04.html
Check out the rest of the article at the link below.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/10/20/01gps.h04.html
Monday, October 18, 2010
Rugrat-ical Technology: Five Truths of Teaching Tech to Elementary Students
A third-grade teacher offers educators five suggestions for using technology in elementary-school classrooms. Gaetan Pappalardo writes that students should be consistently exposed to technology and should be given "achievable goals." He also suggests that teachers find a capable student who can assist as a technology guide. Pappalardo suggests several free tools for teachers, including the technology platform Tumblr and Prezi for presentations.
Edutopia is an excellent site to learn how to use technology with your students. Check out what else Pappalardo has to offer in his "five truths" and many other teaching and learning opportunties at the link below.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-tech-elementary-school
Impact of School Rankings
Tri-Creek leaders are concerned about the impact of school rankings on the bottom three categories formerly labeled as Academic Progress, Academic Watch and Academic Probation that will be revised with the letter grades of “C”, “D” and “F”. While we applaud the State Board of Education effort to improve the system by eliminating Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) from the criteria, we still have some concerns.
We do not want our schools to experience negative labeling that could result from unanticipated consequences and/or the misapplication of standards to reflect the letter grades. Our intention is to point to the flaws in the current system and to suggest recommendations for a useful school ranking system that strongly supports accountability through the recognition of student performance and improvement, not necessarily by ascribing a label to a school.
Schools can be at 80 percent proficiency or above and still fall into a C, D, or F category because of one sub-group, e.g., special needs, has not yet met the standard. This is particularly true since the threshold for accountability measures has been raised this year for all students.
With these contentions, we advocate that the school ranking changes focus on solutions to several issues. To further explore how this process is flawed and how it may be made more fair, please access this link.
http://www.iapss-in.org/page.php?pid=195
We do not want our schools to experience negative labeling that could result from unanticipated consequences and/or the misapplication of standards to reflect the letter grades. Our intention is to point to the flaws in the current system and to suggest recommendations for a useful school ranking system that strongly supports accountability through the recognition of student performance and improvement, not necessarily by ascribing a label to a school.
Schools can be at 80 percent proficiency or above and still fall into a C, D, or F category because of one sub-group, e.g., special needs, has not yet met the standard. This is particularly true since the threshold for accountability measures has been raised this year for all students.
With these contentions, we advocate that the school ranking changes focus on solutions to several issues. To further explore how this process is flawed and how it may be made more fair, please access this link.
http://www.iapss-in.org/page.php?pid=195
Educate Yourself About Tax Caps
Please educate yourself by doing research and looking deeper into the issue of permanently placing property tax caps into the state’s constitution. Voters will be asked to respond to this issue on the Nov. 2 ballot. Here are some points to consider:
Currently: Caps are already in effect—they are in statute—having been enacted by the General Assembly. Libraries, schools, cities and towns, counties and other local units are already operating under the 1%, 2% and 3% limits. The caps will not guarantee homeowners’ property taxes to decrease.
Popular Misconception: While the word “caps,” may entice property owners into thinking their taxes won’t increase, that is not the case. It is a cap on the taxes paid relative to the assessed value of the home. The assessed value can still rise.
Truth: While many property-tax initiatives are politically popular, they often mask a hidden truth: the revenue lost likely leads to increases in many other kinds of taxes and user fees.
Future: Understand that if the amendment is approved by your vote on November 2, it will take about five years to remove if, subsequently, it is judged to be too restrictive.
http://www.iapss-in.org/news/index.php#35
Currently: Caps are already in effect—they are in statute—having been enacted by the General Assembly. Libraries, schools, cities and towns, counties and other local units are already operating under the 1%, 2% and 3% limits. The caps will not guarantee homeowners’ property taxes to decrease.
Popular Misconception: While the word “caps,” may entice property owners into thinking their taxes won’t increase, that is not the case. It is a cap on the taxes paid relative to the assessed value of the home. The assessed value can still rise.
Truth: While many property-tax initiatives are politically popular, they often mask a hidden truth: the revenue lost likely leads to increases in many other kinds of taxes and user fees.
Future: Understand that if the amendment is approved by your vote on November 2, it will take about five years to remove if, subsequently, it is judged to be too restrictive.
http://www.iapss-in.org/news/index.php#35