[November 22, 2009] EDUCATION: High marks in high tech Tweet LOCKPORT, Nov 22, 2009 (Lockport Union-Sun and Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- EDUCATION: It's not just computers anymore, as schools are bringing more technology into the classroom. BY JOE OLENICK [email protected] As Starpoint teacher Brian Scully continued his lesson on the rock cycle Thursday, his students were clearly enthralled. No side conversations were going on as Scully taught. No notes being passed around. When Scully asked for volunteers, hands shot up all over the room of his seventh-grade science class. When Scully asked a question, some of the students would know the answer. If it's difficult keeping a middle schooler's attention, Scully didn't seem to have any trouble. "And we talked about rocks," Scully said. "And they're paying attention." To help get his lesson across, Scully used an interactive whiteboard. The whiteboard allows a teacher or a student to write on or click on items using just their fingers. Teachers can also move items around, show videos and save everything that appears on the whiteboard for future use. Scully showed his students examples of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, then had them move a number of words into the right category. A number of kids came up to the whiteboard and slid the words with their finger under the right category. At the end, Scully had the students copy down the correct words in each category. Learning to incorporate the whiteboard in his teaching wasn't hard for Scully. He's even showcased the whiteboard to parents at open houses, which can be overwhelming to some who don't know what a whiteboard is. Scully has worked with a whiteboard for over a year. "And I've added things along the way," he said. Getting students' undivided attention The students were given an assignment. By Monday they have to create a movie about the rock cycle. They could find assistance if needed on Scully's Web site, a resource for both the student and their parents. To give them an idea of what he was looking for, Scully played a short video about rocks on the whiteboard. "If you watch them, they're completely engaged," said Sean Croft, Starpoint's director of instruction, assessment and staff development. School districts everywhere are trying to not only keep up with the latest technology, but also find out how best to implement it in the classroom. With students these days texting, blogging, using iPods and cell phones that do everything, schools are using different methods to teach kids. Some teachers are turning away from the lecture and more toward increasing a student's participation in their class. Lockport launches the Parent Portal Keeping up technologically is a must, some administrators are saying. "I think it is extremely important," Lockport Superintendent Terry Ann Carbone said. "And we have every intent to keep Lockport close to the cutting edge. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot we still have to learn." Lockport is averaging about three to five computers per classroom, Carbone said. The district is also building up a bank of whiteboards, ready for use by teachers. This year, Lockport High School just started the Parent Portal -- an online program on the district Web site that gives parents access to their child's academic information. Parents just have to log on to see their child's grades, attendance and assignments. Other districts have made a number of technological advances as well. Taking a virtual field trip In the Barker School District students have taken field trips to places like the San Diego Zoo, without leaving the building. Set up like a video conference, virtual field trips allow a group to see and communicate with people far away through the use of cameras, a projector and microphones. And there's another technology Barker's using in some of its classes. The Instructional Clicker Response System allows students to input answers on a hand-held pad wirelessly connected to a central receiver or computer, and the answers are then projected onto a whiteboard. The clickers allow teachers to see who is answering questions about lessons correctly, as well as who might need some extra help. Science applications abound Nancy Cich, a fifth-grade teacher at Newfane Intermediate School, also uses an interactive whiteboard for her class. Her students also use a scanner, digital cameras, an interactive tablet and on occasion, they use the school's 30 laptops. She also runs the school's Computer Club. "We had 10-year-old computers replaced this summer," Cich said. "There's a lot of technology in my day, I've gotten almost completely away from paper." Cich's kids also use a Web site called the JASON Project. It gives students a chance to experience certain things in science, such as tracking a storm. Cich said sometimes kids stay after school for help on math and they'll want to use the whiteboard. Kristina Gehring, a chemistry teacher at Starpoint High School, said her students also like using the whiteboard. On Thursday, she used the whiteboard for her lesson on electron configurations, having students come up to the board to answer questions. Gehring, who has only had her whiteboard for about a month, is also taking classes for her master's degree. She said technology is something newer teachers are learning. "They're really pushing it in teacher education," Gehring said. Grants help build programs With the economic troubles facing the country and a state budget crisis looming, school districts won't have the freedom to spend on technology. So the pursuit of grants have become even more important, especially to financially strapped districts. Croft told the Starpoint Board of Education Monday the district has added eight whiteboards as a result of Starpoint teachers being awarded a series of mini-grants from BOCES. Before that, Starpoint had 14 whiteboards all from previous grants. "We are looking for grants everywhere," Croft said. Districts will be looking closely at their budgets. And many districts believe keeping up technologically is important because it's not just the students its helping. Peter Young, Newfane's director of technology, said Newfane has an integrated system that stores information in a central location on things such as heating controls, phone systems, security system, student and teacher accounts. The district has added energy-efficient desktops and utilizes software that shuts down unused equipment automatically from a remote location, which has amounted to great savings on energy costs, Young said. "Technology is a high priority," Carbone said. Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241. 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