District Administration - May 2008 - (Page 10)

Letters Great Suggestion You ran an excellent article reviewing a district Web site (How Well Does Th is Web Site Work? April 2008). Have you consolidated your ﬁ ndings and tips into a single location for districts to use to improve their Web sites? • A districtwide initiative for 35 teachers and administrators covering diﬀerentiation with Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education’s online institute. Dan Brenner, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Roslyn (N.Y.) Public Schools Reaction to Stager’s Column Wow! I just read your column (“The George Frazier, director of technology Phoenixville Area (Pa.) School District Games Teachers Play,” April 2008) and have no idea what teachers you hang out with, but you’d better ﬁnd a new crowd. Leading the Way in Technology I use Accelerated Reader and Reading I always read District Renaissance for my seventh-grade Administration with great interest literature class. Eight out of 16 students and, as it is sitting on my desk, I want entered my class reading one to four years to share some cool technology projects below grade level. I needed to raise their underway at Roslyn (N.Y.) Public reading level rather than teach from a Schools. They include implementing: literature book. • A Sony language lab, which is a I determine the reading level of state-of-the-art interactive lab that our the students by using three tests. The foreign language teachers are training students’ goals are set according to their on. (We have purchased a lab for the level. We read 40 minutes per day, and middle and high schools.) It greatly their homework is to read 30 minutes increases a student’s ability to speak each night. Students never have trouble during any given class. ﬁnding books in their interest level, and • VoIP telephone I do not choose their books for them. • A 50-gig pipe allowing for streaming Parents are amazed at the amount of solutions reading their children do and often tell • A wireless middle school and high me they have to make their children school with laptops for all secondary stop reading and go to bed at night. Our discussions in class are not formal, teachers • A copy center concept. We are moving and I don’t require a project or book to centralize copying for all of our staﬀ. report. The computer test results indicate We expect to have building printers the students have read the books. My that will send all jobs of greater than 50 students achieved Kansas State Standard copies to a centralized location with a of Excellence in reading this year. Several students have shown growth of more than six-hour turnaround time. We are also exploring having teachers send their two years in reading. I believe being able “jobs” directly from their laptops with to read better will help them as they enter the preloaded software. high school. • An exploration of distance learning Show up to my classroom. Tell me if it (including in Arabic) with other looks like a dodgeball game or a bunch of school districts seventh-graders engrossed in reading. • A new model using the data Anonymous warehouse to help drive instruction I Impressed with d ih DA Web Site I just visited your Web site (www. DistrictAdministration.com) and was impressed with the content. It appears really accessible for educators and oﬀers a lot of practical advice and solutions for administrators. Daniel J. Gulchak., university supervisor, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University Book Features DA Story I am currently involved in a book project with Prufrock Press that involves gifted kids and technology. I loved the story in District Administration about the girl from New Jersey who created the multimedia production of “Apocalypse Productions” (“3D and Far Out,” May 2002). I have shared this story in the book when talking about gifted kids who are tech-savvy. I am in the ﬁnal revisions before publication. Diane Witt, consultant, New Albany, Ohio Letters to the Editor may be sent to jhartnett@edmediagroup.com, or mailed to Judy F. Hartnett, District Administration, 488 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Selections that are published may be edited for length and clarity, and become the property of District Administration. 10 May 2008 District Administration http://www.DistrictAdministration.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

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

District Administration - May 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Book Excerpt
Addressing Food Allergies
Algebra: Changing the Equation
Stopping MRSA
Resources to Support Disabled Learners
Web Tools: The Second Generation
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Speaking Out
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion
Leadership Books
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - May 2008