NRHEG School Board
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
Invasion of the iPads
Visiting the NRHEG school board for their January 22 meeting were Technology Coordinator Angie Aaseth with a group of a dozen eighth grade students to present a demonstration of progress on the district’s iPad Initiative. Also on hand were high school English teacher Mark Domeier and math teacher Sharon Ramaker, plus numerous parents and friends.
In May the board approved a motion to go ahead with an iPad Initiative trial program. One grade (eighth grade) would be supplied with iPads, and the technology would be integrated into their learning program. If significant results were visible in the first year, the board would continue the program one or two grades per year, ultimately to provide iPads to all 7-12 students.
Are significant results visible yet? Students, teachers and board members were presented with some impressive evidence.
Aaseth reported that the iPad usage in the classroom is still evolving; lessons are being given, done, turned in and evaluated digitally now, and iPad apps are speeding research.But new methods are constantly emerging.
“They (the math students) got the idea of taking a picture of my assignment on the board,” said Ramaker. And new ideas spread quickly.
“Are they getting ahead of you?” asked board member John Harrington.
“Constantly!” was Domeier’s cheerful answer.
Part of the benefit of iPad use, says Domeier, is the “ease of keeping track of things.” Students can easily assemble, compile, and digest research material from diverse sources and media, and have it all in one place on their iPad, rather than as a weighty stack of books, photocopies and clippings they have to carry around.
“What about the ‘dog ate my homework’ problem? Is that over?” asked Michelle Moxon.
“They are completing their work,” Domeier said emphatically. “The excuses are gone.”
“Are you using primarily apps you have to purchase? Or things you find? Or a mixture?” it was asked.
“It’s a mixture,” Aaseth replied. The students use eBooks for English, Math, and other subjects. But some of their material they assemble themselves, and some is produced by their teachers.
Domeier described the process by which he makes his own eBooks for his students.
“I assemble materials, pictures, excerpts from many sources,” he says. He then presents the lessons in a package.
“It takes the paperwork out of it. They can go ahead as much as they want, and email in their work.”
Classwork assignments are emailed to the students’ dropboxes, are completed, and are emailed back. The iPad auto-saves the work, so no effort is lost even by power outage.
Classwork has become more cooperative because of the easy and continuous communication.
And no more beeping.
“These kids don’t need a cell phone,” said Domeier, “and they never will.”
Pairs of students took turns connecting their iPads to the projector and demonstrating some of their activities to an amazed board.
Some of the things the board witnessed were an interactive geometry lesson (how to compute surface area), and interactive graphic instruction in geography in the form of a game.
But the students have wasted no time before creating their own lessons. The board also saw a student-authored eBook on art, and YouTube-worthy videos, including a highly amusing cooking show, and a demonstration of how easy it is to create animated photomontages and set them to music and voiceover.
“Where would you be if next year you didn’t have an iPad?” Board Chair Rick Schultz asked one student.
“I’d be lost,” he replied.
Basketball team to ‘borrow’ their uniforms
In an interesting workaround to last month’s difficulty, the Junior High Basketball team, which was denied permission to play in a Sunday tournament, submitted a request to be lent the Panther uniforms for a post-season event. Lacking official status as the NRHEG team, they will end the basketball season, and then play as the Basketball Boosters wearing the ‘borrowed’ uniforms.
The request was approved.
Paul Cyr to retire
It was no surprise, but sentiment still ran high as Rick Schultz read a letter of resignation from High School Principal Paul Cyr.
Cyr will be retiring at the end of this school year after 27 years with NRHEG.
That 27 years in fact comprises the entire history of NRHEG, as he was hired in 1986 by then-superintendent Richard Lorenz, who was just beginning the long process of consolidating the New Richland-Hartland and Ellendale-Geneva districts.
Cyr said in his letter that the experience of participating in those 27 years “has been more than I had dreamed of.”
Why has he decided to retire now?
Cyr, the coach of a multi-award-winning wrestling team, wrote, “Father Time is undefeated, and he is gaining on me.”