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 One reason for their success likely relates to using “new and
innovative methods of delivering instruction.”
As superintendent Todd Dugan notes, “We’re in our second year of
rolling out 1:1 iPads for grades K-2 and Chromebooks for grades 3-8.
We piloted various tablets and laptops to determine what worked best
for our district. Being small and rural, with 74 percent poverty,
funds were a challenge, leading the way to Chromebooks and Google
Apps for Education.” Every child in grade K-2 has their own iPad
with learning apps and students in grades third through seventh,
have Google Chromebooks.
NH-M was the first school district in the area to adopt this
approach, and Dugan said initially he had to convince people of its
importance.
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There’s quite a
range of expressions made by these third graders at work on
their Chromebooks. |
Mr. Dugan said that the Google Apps for Education, which includes
Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Docs, gives staff and students free
email addresses allowing for improved communication. It also “saves
class time and keeps classes organized.”
To help parents and community members see how it is used, the school
has hosted a few Google Apps nights where those attending can learn
how to use Google Chrome, Drive, G-mail, Google Docs, and other
Google Apps.
Because of New Holland Middletown’s leadership in the area of
instructional technology, Dugan had the chance to be a presenter
this past October at the Fall 2014 School CIO Summit in Redwood
City, CA, a conference focused on “Rethinking School from the Ground
Up.” According to the Tech and Learning Website, “The conversation
brought together K-12 thought leaders from around the country” to
share ideas about what their schools are doing.
 Dugan
said besides having a chance to hear from various presenters, they
participated in work groups that covered topics that included
Flipped and Blended Learning, Strategic Planning, and Preparing
Students for Tomorrow’s Workforce.
When Dugan was chosen to attend the summit, he was “very humbled and
honored to be chosen to attend” and was “excited to share the NH-M
story of how we are successfully using technology as one of many
important tools in our district’s ongoing efforts to combat barriers
to learning as a result of high poverty, high mobility, and rapid
educational changes.”
He said the Tech & Learning group, a resource for education
technology professionals, is interested in doing a case study on the
district because it is small and agriculturally based.
[to top of second column] |
In early February, Dugan, along with retired teacher Lynn
Corley and NH-M board member Karen Davison, presented in Chicago
at the annual No Child Left Behind Conference for elementary and
secondary educators.
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See
the excitement on first-grader faces as they use their iPads
to "write code" for Christmas tree light patterns in
Washington D.C. |
At that conference, they shared the ways in which the NH-M school
has successfully engaged the community. An article about the
conference stated that the presentation “highlighted the successes
of this rural, high poverty district in the past three years as the
district has used unorthodox ways of mobilizing the community, such
as service projects, social media, and engagement for community
input at public forums, such as the semi-annual Coffee with the
Superintendent.”
Junior High Math and Science teacher Jamie Wellbaum also had a
chance recently to present a session on Websites, Apps, and Math at
Eastern Illinois University’s Technology in Education Conference.
She shared how she implements technology into her lessons using apps
such as Kahool, SMART exchange, Moby Max, Virtual Nerd, and Khan
Academy.
This year the NH-M theme has been "Making a difference," referring
to the way technology “makes a difference in the way in which
students learn, making a difference in the community, and now making
a difference in education.” Through participation in conferences,
professional development, Google App Nights, and community
engagement, NH-M seems to truly be making a difference in its
community.
[Angela Reiners]
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