Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Five tech-savvy schools that focus on ed-tech

These five schools and districts are modeling ed-tech success.

Many schools have learning technologies and ed-tech tools. But what sets exemplary schools apart is how they use those technologies.

Below are five schools, listed in alphabetical order, that are taking teaching and learning to the next level by leveraging ed-tech and learning technologies to boost student engagement and staff productivity. An ed-tech specialist or administrator from each school describes the school’s accomplishments.

1. Adrian Public Schools, Michigan
Christopher J. Timmis, Superintendent…Read More

Why allow ed-tech access? ‘We owe it to our students’

Unfettered access to technology can be frightening, Sheninger says—but ‘find a way to make it work.’

Technology can be intimidating, and even frightening—but Eric Sheninger, principal of New Jersey’s New Milford High School (NMHS), says that educators must overcome their fear of putting technology into students’ hands.

Through efforts to create a paperless environment, a bring-your-own-device initiative, and the use of social media, NMHS teachers and administrators are integrating technology into all aspects of the school day—and these efforts are paying off. For these reasons and others, we’ve chosen NMHS as our “eSchool of the Month” for November/December.

Here, Sheninger describes the school’s ed-tech accomplishments and the keys to its success. (Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for this award, and to read about past winners, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)…Read More

Massachusetts district’s advice: Focus on learning, not technology

“Once the students stop producing outputs of knowledge for only the teacher, their level of engagement and commitment to excellence increase dramatically,” Florek said.

Educators and administrators in the Hampshire Regional School District in Massachusetts try to avoid discussing technology—instead, they aim for technology to integrate seamlessly with classroom instruction and administrative processes.

With successful initiatives such as a lease-to-own laptop program and partnerships with local colleges to offer graduate credit for professional development, the Hampshire Regional School District is forging ahead in its goal of making technology an integral part of all operations—and for this reason, we’ve chosen the district as our “eSchools of the Month” for October.

Here, IT Director Kim Florek discusses some of the district’s most important goals—and how technology is helping the district achieve them. (Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)…Read More

Arkansas district knows how to make students engaged and teachers tech-savvy

The biggest challenge has been finding the time to train teachers and reinforce what they have learned with reliable support.

Arkansas’ Osceola School District has students use Renaissance Learning’s NEO—a low-cost, battery-powered keyboard with word processing and quizzing capabilities—for their writing projects and Wii gaming systems for physical education. The district provides teachers with paid training for any technology that is implemented and follows up with training throughout the year. Thanks to the use of these and other resources, participation in phys-ed classes has increased—and students are more engaged in and connected to school activities.

For these reasons and more, we’ve chosen Osceola School District as our “eSchool of the Month” for September. Here, Instructional Technology Director Shantele Raper discusses the district’s ed-tech accomplishments and the keys to its success.

(Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)…Read More

A big ‘hoo-ah’ to Fort Huachuca schools

Arizona’s Fort Huachuca School District has teachers create personalized staff development plans around technology each year, and a tech integration specialist program at each school is evaluated frequently for success. Thanks to the use of students response systems and a one-to-one iPad 2 initiative, among other programs, students are more engaged in classroom activities and view learning with new perspectives.

For these reasons and more, we’ve chosen Fort Huachuca School District as our “eSchool of the Month” for June. Here, Superintendent Ronda L. Frueauff discusses the district’s ed-tech accomplishments and the keys to its success.

(Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.) …Read More

Personalized instruction provides HOPE to Colorado students

HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op uses an online curriculum supported by face-to-face instruction.

HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op in Colorado’s Douglas County has used a blend of online and face-to-face learning to deliver highly individualized instruction to students, many of whom entered the school at risk of failing. The school’s data-driven approach allows teachers to target instruction to meet each student’s unique needs. This research-based method has helped lower disciplinary problems while increasing student performance on state assessments.

For these reasons, we’ve chosen HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op as our “eSchool of the Month” for May. Here, Heather O’Mara, HOPE’s chief executive director, reveals some of the school’s successes and key practices.

(Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to: http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)…Read More

Virginia high school uses technology to increase learning time, boost graduation rates

Educators aim to extend learning time and boost graduation rates.

T.C. Williams High School, in Virginia’s Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), uses technology to create online and blended-learning environments that provide extra support to students who need it. Two of the school’s primary goals are to extend the amount of learning time and ensure that more students graduate—and early results from these programs are encouraging.

For these reasons, we’ve chosen T.C. Williams as our “eSchool of the Month” for April. Here, Mary Fluharty, the school’s online learning coordinator, describes some of her school’s accomplishments—and the challenges it overcame in the process.
(Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to: http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)

How do you use technology to advance student learning?…Read More

Technology broadens students’ learning opportunities at South Johnston High School

SJHS students work in the school's Microsoft IT Academy Lab.

South Johnston High School in North Carolina’s Johnston County Schools recently started a one-to-one laptop program for freshmen, which has extended their learning beyond the traditional school day, and has overcome the challenge of an older building to deliver wireless internet access throughout the school.

Students are taking more Advanced Placement classes online, taking advantage of opportunities that didn’t exist before—and school leaders have saved money by moving to online assessments.

For these reasons and others, we’ve chosen South Johnston High School as our “eSchool of the Month” for March. Here, school technology facilitator Bennett Jones describes some of the school’s ed-tech accomplishments and its keys to success.…Read More

Kentucky district’s ed-tech advice: Involve all stakeholders in planning

The district’s focus on ed-tech accessibility has helped it become a leader in the state of Kentucky and nationwide.

Fort Thomas Independent Schools in Kentucky has made it a priority to improve building security and efficiency, as well as student engagement and achievement, through the judicious use of technology.

This district of 2,600 students ensures adequate time for teacher professional development so they learn to become coaches and facilitators of student learning rather than simply lecturing all day, and full wireless coverage and a “bring your own device” pilot project have helped educators leverage technology’s power to enhance instruction.

The district’s focus on ed-tech accessibility has helped it become a leader in the state of Kentucky and nationwide, with 94 percent of its students from the Class of 2010 going on to college.…Read More

District-created app improves the home-school connection

The eBackpack was developed using Microsoft SharePoint as the content management system.

Missouri’s Rockwood School District (RSD) aims to have all district parents as involved in their children’s education as possible. Toward that end, the district has developed a unique communications application that gives parents up-to-the-minute information about school events, as well as important district news, resources, and principal blogs.

For creating this innovative application, we’ve chosen the Rockwood School District as our “eSchool of the Month” for November/December. Here, Karl Weinrich, the district’s senior webmaster, describes the project and its results.

(Editor’s note: To nominate your school or district for our “eSchool of the Month” feature, and to read about past winners, go to: http://www.eschoolnews.com/eschool-of-the-month.)…Read More