 Welcome to my journal. This corner of our website is my opportunity to share with you items and tidbits about the school that I become aware of from time to time. Usually these things that brighten or enlighten my day are absorbed by the normal hustle and bustle of the day's events. I hope to share them with you informally so you can enjoy and be informed about some of the happenings I come across in the course of my experience with your daughters and sons. I'll sprinkle in some news and upcoming events that come across my desk as well.
I hope you drop by here often to share some of my experiences at CSHM High School.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Class of 2012 Graduation Rehearsal
We had a very smooth graduation rehearsal this morning. I took this picture of the Class of 2012 just before we left for the Senior Brunch.
Click on the picture to download the full sized photograph.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Parent iPad Survey
I hope that everyone had a restful and rejuvenating Easter vacation. Everything about this time of year seems renewing and uplifting; from new leaves sprouting on trees to new spring flowers in the yard. One of the new things we are planning for CSHM High School is the introduction of iPad and 21st Century technology in our classrooms next year.
Below you will find a survey that I would like you to complete so I can get your perspective on our plans. Before you do that, though, let me mention again what this means to your children and to our school. Before any changes are made to a school the overriding question should be:  How will this affect student learning? At our last parent meeting I showed all of our parents in attendance the enormous learning opportunities that a networked classroom can provide. Not only will students be able to have their textbooks all on one device, but they will be able to interact with the teacher and their classmates during and after class in ways that would have been impossible before. The impact that this can have on "formative assessment", the ability of the teacher to see exactly where the class is at any given time, is is difficult to minimize. With ongoing professional development, our teachers will be able to deliver a much more effective learning environment. Imagine teachers having the results of quizes immediately and adjusting their teaching to that information. Imagine students recording their teachers while they take notes and comparing them during study. Imagine your son or daughter creating study cards electronically while they're reading the text. This is just a small sampling of what we will be able to to. Studies have shown that students become more enthusiastic about learning when they receive immediate feedback and are directly involved and can manipulate their own learning environment. I am convinced we will see that at CSHM High School.
We have completely upgraded our infrastructure by laying fiber optics to CSHM and increasing the speed of our network by 20 times. We have upgraded our switches throughout the school to make our network much more reliable. This summer we are installing a system of "broadcast wireless" throughout the entire school, so your son or daughter can access the network from anywhere at any time. There will be a large stress on our network infrastructure and I'm sure that we'll run into bumps, but we have prepared well and are ready.
There is a financial component. Yes, textbooks will be less in price. Some will be a lot less. Over the course of the use of the iPad, the cost of textbooks and the iPad will be less than you would have paid if you bought traditional hard-bound textbooks. ESCO, our textbook supplier, will be supplying iPads to our parents with excellent, affordable terms. Of course, if your child already has their own iPad, that will be fine as well. However, the most exciting thing to me is what this will mean for student learning. I have been in education for over 30 years and I have never been more excited about any teaching development.
So...here's the survey:
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