Dear Parents:
Last Monday night's Board of Trustee meeting set in motion a number of mission-driven initiatives designed to make Parker an even more effective educational institution. Of particular importance to the Lower School program next year were funding for Chinese instruction during the school day and a budget for appropriate technology tools and personnel to enable a move away from the "tech center" model in favor of full integration of technology in the classrooms. In the very near future, laptops and ipads will play a much more prominent role in the classrooms in helping us to advance our educational program.
A glimpse of this technological future is just around the corner this year. Parker librarians, Laurie Brae and Carol Brown, have been working hard to develop an electronic book checkout system, and we'll be making it available in the next couple of weeks.
Having such a remarkable system begs the question, on everyone's mind for some time, about the use of mobile devices at the Lower School. Our Curriculum Leadership Team, the "CLT" considered that very issue, and no one had any objections to beginning a pilot this year provided a clear policy were established to address appropriate use, responsibility, etc. Look for specific information about the website, Overdrive, and policies governing the use of e-readers in the next week or two.
Expanding our language program has been a goal for some time, and next year Chinese will be an option for students in grades SK-5. I'll be sending out a 3-4 question survey in the next week to determine how many families would be interested in choosing Chinese over Spanish, and procedures (Who gets to take Chinese? ; How long will a student be required to stay with their choice? If a student doesn't get to take Chinese, will they have an option later?) will follow, depending on what we learn from the survey results.
It's an exciting time for education, and we hope to be at the leading edge now and in the future for the benefit of our students.
Sincerely,
Bob Gillingham
Admissions
Lower School Admissions testing takes place this coming Saturday, Feb. 4, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Thoughts to Ponder...
By Edutopia Staff
Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes. Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning. Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.
Lower School Menu
Mon. Cheese Ravioli
Gluten-Free Pasta
Garlic Bread
Pb & j, Black Forest Ham Sandwich
Garden Salad & Caesar Salad
Italian Chickpea Soup
Fresh Fruit & Yogurt
Grape Juice
Tues. Beans & Franks
Baked Potato
Rolls
Pb & j, Egg Salad Sandwich
Garden Salad
Cream Of Corn Soup
Fresh Fruit & Yogurt
Grape Juice
Wed. Macaroni & Cheese
Steamed Broccoli
Pb & j, Roast Beef Sandwich
Garden Salad
Yankee Bean Soup
Fresh Fruit
Grape Juice
Thurs. Sweet & Sour Meatballs Over Steamed Rice
Snow Peas
Pb & j, Tuna Sandwich
Garden Salad
Udon Noodle Soup
Fresh Fruit & Yogurt
Grape Juice
Fri. Turkey Tacos
Spanish Rice
Refried Beans
PB & J
Garden Salad
Sweet Potato Bean Soup
Fresh Fruit & Yogurt
Grape Juice
Posted
by
ls-newsletter
on
Friday January, 27, 2012 at 02:21PM
0 Comments: