From the Superintendent's Desk
October 22, 2008
Volume II, Number 3
From the Superintendent’s Desk…
John J. Welch, Ed. D.
Last year, with monies available from the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) Grant, we were able to fund some elements of the fiscal year 2008 technology budget that were not affordable within the limitations of the local budget.
Specifically, we acquired 35 32” television sets for deployment between the two schools (11 PVMS, 25 PPMS). The acquisition of these units at cost from Best Buy, a company that operates a government and K-12 education division, now makes it possible for our library media specialist to offer classroom teachers relevant educational programming and video. In addition, the deployment of these units at PPMS, accompanied by the purchase of other hardware specified by our technology coordinator, has made it possible for us to establish a “T.V. Studio,” a resource that is quite common and popular in both middle and high school environments. Among other things, the advent of this program makes it possible for students in conjunction with staff to “pipe-in” morning announcements and other school-centered programs to every classroom (or other designated area like the cafeteria) in the building.
Right now, we are also organizing an after-school club for students who may have an interest in television production. Those students would become directly involved in producing a daily news program, producing special programs for school-wide or grade level distribution, and taping special school events (e.g., athletic contests) for later telecast. In a word, this club will promote a whole new level of opportunity for students who have an interest in communication tools, processes and systems.
So, while television is hardly a new technology, harnessing its potential to promote positive educational outcomes is a step in the right direction for Preston Public Schools.
September 2008
From the Superintendent’s Desk
Volume II, Number 2
In my first issue of From the Superintendent’s Desk this school year, I commented upon the acquisition of Kurzweil 3000, an exciting web-based software program that is intended to assist struggling readers to improve their skills.
Underlying this acquisition, of course, is a recognition that among the many competencies students are expected to acquire during their formative elementary years none is more fundamental than the ability to read well. In fact, being able to read well supercedes all other subject matter – including mathematics – in importance and is highly correlated with every child’s future success in school and life.
With that understanding in mind, I am certain that you will be pleased to learn that we are also introducing a new core reading program in grades K-5 developed by Mondo Publishing, New York, New York. Mondo was selected following a careful examination of other reading series and will be supported by a federal entitlement program.
What sets Mondo’s Bookshop K-5 reading program apart from other programs is that it is a scientific, research-based product that represents the culmination of many years of field testing and evaluation. From this research has emerged a highly successful program dedicated to promoting literacy achievement for all students. Preston students will be exposed to high quality, literacy materials that will be supported by clear lesson plans and on-going professional development for our teachers that emphasizes the five critical aspects of reading defined by the No Child Left Behind Act; namely, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, text comprehension and fluency.
For us, this is a major step forward in strengthening and standardizing our core reading program at the elementary level. I am very optimistic that like the positive results that we are seeing among students in mathematics since acquiring the Everyday Math series several years ago, we will see a corresponding increase in reading performances over time. And that, of course, is precisely what we want to see as we continue working to assist all students in realizing their full potential as readers.
For more information about this program, you may wish to visit Mondo Publishing at www.mondopub.com.
September 2008
From the Superintendent’s Desk
Volume II, Number 1
Thanks to the availability of a state grant, Preston Public Schools has been able to acquire Kurzweil 3000, a powerful web-based software product that will assist struggling readers in grades four-eight to improve their reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Building upon the engaging power of technology, Kurzweil 3000 is designed to help students, particularly students with special needs and students for whom English is not their primary language, to improve their performance and realize their potential.
Reading is especially challenging for students who have disabilities such as dyslexia or attention disorder. In fact, for those students, and others, reading is often a source of constant frustration and disappointment. So, we are delighted to have discovered an instructional tool that will make a positive difference for those students.
Historically, challenged readers have been dependent on human readers – a teacher, instructional assistant or volunteer, for example – to assist them in comprehending printed text. While obviously helpful, this labor-intensive approach does not always cultivate a sense of independence and mastery over content among students that is fundamental to becoming a confident reader. In other words, from an institutional perspective, that approach is fraught with inherent limitations. With Kurzweil 3000, however, text is read aloud to students by any one of several clear and natural voices that may be selected by the instructor and/or student. It is very impressive to observe this function in practice.
In addition, the program provides students with a wide array of customized cues, prompts and other embedded tools that makes it feasible for students to progress at a comfortable pace as they continue to evolve and mature as readers.
While Kurzweil 3000 does not purport to be an educational panacea, its potential for making a dramatic and lasting difference in the lives of emerging readers is apparent. This program will certainly become an important component to our reading program since it will allow teachers to become far more focused and strategic with respect to how they offer reading instruction.