Seton-LaSalle Catholic High School swapped a Cyber Day for yesterday's Snow Day. Instead of losing a day's worth of education, all 510 students logged into their school-issued Chromebooks to get their emailed assignments. Here is how it worked. Teachers had until 10 AM to submit assignments or direct students to websites that were created for yesterday's use. For attendance purposes, students had to log in by noon. The students had until 5 PM to submit their completed assignments electronically.
Every year, it has been a struggle for the Municipal and District Public Information Offices to include schools such as Seton-LaSalle in LeboAlerts recruiting high school juniors and seniors for Junior Commissioner.
For more information about Seton-LaSalle's Cyber Day, read For three Catholic schools, 'Cyber Days' replace old snow days.
45 comments:
My congratulations to Seton-LaSalle for adopting a 21st Century system to deliver education to its students.
I found a couple of things in the PG article interesting. For example, Mitch Yanyanin, the AD and technology coordinator at Quigley Catholic in Baden was told, "Figure out how the kids can go to school online, don't spend any money and have it done by Thursday." And there was this from Tim Eller, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, who offered this comment on on-line education: "The department's concern is whether all students would have access to the needed hardware and software, whether special-education students would be accommodated and whether there would be an integrated approach to providing cyber instruction on short notice for all subjects."
The two approaches to a common problem couldn't be more divergent: The Catholic school's approach is "Don't tell me it can't be done," while the PDE's approach is "Let me tell you why it can't be done."
There are innovative, efficient, and most important, less costly ways of delivering education today, and everybody in education knows it. But as long as our public education system stays locked into a 19th century Prussian school model we'll continue to be told that buildings and minimum AIS (Ass In Seat) times are the most important parameters in education.
"All in all it's just another brick in the wall." - Pink Floyd
Sounds cool, maybe we should by Chromebooks for each Student, as well as pay for internet access to their homes so that they don't miss school when the weather is bad.
Serra Catholic in McKeesport does the same thing...
http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmckeesport/yourmckeesportmore/5375919-74/students-serra-chrome#axzz2pqZ7H7JB
Well, the district won't have to "by" Internet access for your house, 4:43 PM.
Don't all the teachers have iPads now? Don't they put assignments on Dashboard already? Aren't there policies in place for social media?
Are you saying that parents who send their kids to Seton-LaSalle can provide Internet access to their kids, while the rest don't?
Your argument is weak, 4:43 PM. Tell me, how do you feel about the district funding turf maintenance?
Elaine
What a no-brainer! EVERY school district should do this!
Richard, I have a better one for you -
"When I think of all of the crap that I learned in High School, it's a wonder that I can think at all!" - Paul Simon
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLsDxvAErTU
For the rest of you, I would encourage every young reader to pursue the best collegiate experience possible. Just try to forget the bullshit that they taught you in Mt Lebanon-
What dark ages is 4:53 living in. Nearly every kid in Lebo has an iphone or equivalent, probably has the latest playstation and/or ninetendo and they're worried that we're going to have to provide internet service to homes.
Wonder if they're just as concerned about all those poor depraved Lebo children having to pay athletic fees, lab fees, parking fees, book fees etc., etc.
Richard, I love your comparision of the two approaches.
Supposedily we're building a very, very expensive 21st Century high school, but we're stuck with a board and administration that operates like it 1985.
Even McKeesport is adopting and using the new technology.
A number of recent board members were in MLHS in 1985, what do you expect?
As an alumnus of Seton-La Salle, I am happy to see they are taking their unique position and using it to their advantage. When I went there, they had some top notch teachers who probably weren't making 1/2 of what public school teachers make (my knowledge of the Constitution and US banking system would be nothing without Ken Buka!)
But, the Catholic schools are in a unique position. They can make changes like this quickly because there's one entity that does not rule over them (spelled U-N-I-O-N). They also have had to learn to get by because even though they're receiving tuition, they aren't receiving as much money as the public schools are. Many public schools are providing full scale laptops or iPads vs Chromebooks which are a fraction of the cost.
I'm glad to see there's innovation going on in schools somewhere in Western PA.
Why you won't see it in Lebo....
And Tim Eller, a spokesman for the Department of Education, said the state has not signed off on the idea yet and allowed such instruction to count toward the required 180 school days.
I get that, 7:53 AM. Has Timmy tried to sell the idea to the PDE? Aren't we all for 21st Century education, whatever that means? Why do all the teachers have iPads? Is that what is meant by 21st Century education? Or is it the super's use of Twitter that has us on the cutting edge of education? Wouldn't it be nice if the district started an initiative to try to keep up with McKeesport?
In an age of annual 100 year storms and polar vortexes, why isn't the district proactive? I guess they haven't nailed the concept of Go Zones or staggered start times for snow delays.
Elaine
Oh no, Tim and the administration will take up issues with Tim Eller and the PDE, when it affects their bottom or they want more and more money.
Money that goes towards things like raises and vacation time and not chromebooks or ipads for students.
6:00pm and Elaine: I can assure you that there are plenty of families in Mt. Lebanon who do not have internet access nor home computers and their kids do not have iPhones and Nintendo. And I'm pretty sure they are worried about how to pay for all of those other things that you mentioned. It's strange to think that some people could do without what so many of us take for granted - but they do. And they live in Mt. Lebanon.
Rivhard Gideon and JDK! Jake from State Farm agrees!
My kids love going to school to see their friends, but I would LOVE to homeschool part time only. Piano lessons, violin practice, family book discussions, REAL MATH , REAL LIFE LESSONS! love to assign my kids a report on a place they've visited or something they want to know more about! I HATE being a slave to Lebo's schedule!
So what the Seton LaSalle experiment says to me is that what takes 8 hours to. Complete at school can be completed in 5 or less hours! And let's be real, most students probably don't spend more than 3 hours on their assignments.
Betchya Linfante would have loved more practice time!
I think this is great! So many possibilities....
10:21 I have no doubt that their are families without internet access in their home by choice or financial issues.
Tell me, do you worry that their kids won't have access to all the academic and athletic opportunities available in the school district as well that the board/administration feels no qualms about charging students for.
Yes, I'm aware there are provisions made for hardship cases, so why would this be any different?
Maybe we opened a new topic, are their students in our system that are missing and essential tool in "21st century education"?
Perhaps we should be looking out for them and using things like the $5,000 bonuses for highly paid administraors to provide them with internet access at home.
Or the district money being discussed to support the turff initiative.
Where are your priorities 10:21, providing the best education possible for each and every student, or buying plastic grass to keep Brumfield and Franklin happy?
My son went to a Catholic school, the teachers were indeed in a union.
Whoa, 10:45am. 10:21 here. I agree with you on all of those points. I wasn't trying to debate the school district's or the Municipality's spending. I was simply saying that (and I have first-hand knowledge) that many families in Mt. Lebanon do NOT have internet access, computers and iPhones and that not everyone in this community is rich. I don't know how the content of my post has you assuming I'm in the pro-Turf, bonuses/raises crowd in this town.
6:42 SLS teachers are UNION represented.
http://www.pittsburghcatholic.org/newsarticles_more.php?id=549
In looking around at other comparable school districts, I have found that keyboarding begins in elementary school and things like Google Chrome books are often distributed beginning in sixth grade.
The district thinks it is meeting the needs of "our population" (note: this will be said in a condescending manner). If Google Chrome books are raised as a solution, to XYZ, the response will be that the district is satisfied with fulfilling the mandates put forth by the Dept of PA. The bar is low.
10:21/11:39 AM, I realize that. How are report cards sent? Last I remember, they were posted online. I had the feeling that the district assumed that all students had access to the Internet. I am not questioning your statements, just asking how the district handles those families who do not have those luxuries. I remember Cooper speaking of angel funds. Can they be spent here?
Elaine
11:39 I wasn't assuming your were proturf or support bonuses.
Merely pointing out that while you are correct that there are certainly families that for some reason don't have internet service or computers.
Our leaders have no problem, raising taxes on these families and charging fees when historically thre community provided extracurricular activities for free.
Personally, I don't see how you can send your kid through school "in the 21st century" without making the internet available to them.
I'm just suggesting that in our affluent community making internet access to each student should be easy and no hold be technology innovations in education.
Comcast internet service is only about $30/month and I believe they even have aprogram to provide it and computers to underpriviledge students.
So all I'm suggesting, if we have students missing out on all the internet provides in the way of education there must be a way to provide it. Otherwise, are you suggesting we hold the whole system back to 20th century protocols?
Maybe funds from the PK effort could be assigned to providing the best education possible to each and every student.
Hold it! Remember this post from Wrap, wrap, wrap. They call him the Wrapper
"At this point, Ostergaard, Cooper, Birks, Lebowitz, Remely, and Posti opted for Option 1. Scott Goldman, the only fiscally responsible school board member opted for Option 2, based on further clarification from Jan Klein. She has set aside $1 million for the grievance. It could be plus or minus $1 million, but she decided to set aside $1 million. According to Klein, there is approximately $8.5 million available total in all the funds. She felt comfortable taking $3 million from those funds and applying them to the second bond issue. Since Goldman was relying on Klein's expertise, he opted for Option 2."
There is no excuse for the district not to help those students in need. They don't want to spend the money that way. They would rather spend it in raises for our greedy administration and pacifying sports cabals. If you think they are interested in turning a snow day into something productive, regardless of the PDE's blessings, you are mistaken. Why not start a pilot program? Take the results to the PDE and make your case. I guess nobody on the board or administration is a salesman or a gogetter. What is the worst that could happen? A child might learn something on a snow day. It would also benefit those who miss school due to illness. Isn't that the whole idea for Dashboard? I know it was that way five years ago. Do they no longer use Dashboard to post assignments? I could track my kid's attendance, grades, and assignments.
By the way, whatever happened with the grievance? It has been a year!
Elaine
A teacher of my elementary school aged children sent an email inquiring about whether we were reading her email only at work and if so, to contact her so that our children could be provided with internet access at home through a school-related program. My other student's teacher, at the same school, did not send a note home or an email. Heard nothing from the middle school.
From an article in today's PG titled: "PSEA recommends 20 ways to improve public education"
In a press release, Mr. Crossey said, "When you ask Pennsylvanians about the issues that are most important to them, public education is at the top of the list. Our students need these solutions, and we want to do everything we can to bring these solutions into every classroom in Pennsylvania."
The list includes halting the growth of class size; improving special education programs and funding; fostering art, music, physical education, world languages and extracurricular activities; maximizing the use of learning time in and out of school; implementing effective distance learning strategies; and improving student assessment.
Notice "maximize the use of learning time in and out of school, implimenting effective distance learning strategies."
I don't see keeping snow days like past snow days mentioned in the article.
Interesting article.
http://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?DISPATCHED=true&cid=25983841&item=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2014%2F01%2F09%2F16finance.h33.html%3Ftkn%3DLLCCf%252FMmA6gWRZ4rZWrEAFqFtM47Nv2LfdAy%26cmp%3Dclp-sb-ascd
"Frankly, I don't know what it’s about California, but we seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to high office. I'm not bragging, you understand, but no other state, including Maine, even comes close.
When it comes to sending left-wing dingbats to Washington, we're Number One.
There's no getting around the fact that the last time anyone saw the likes of Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi, they were stirring a cauldron when the curtain went up on 'Macbeth'.
The four of them are like jackasses who happen to possess the gift of blab.
You don't know if you should condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at their ability to form words."
Columnist Burt Prelutsky,
Los Angeles Times
2:17 PM, here is the link to the PSEA press release.
PSEA releases "Solutions That Work"
"Educators know what works for the students who learn in their schools and classrooms – early childhood education, arts and extracurricular activities, parental involvement, tutoring programs, teacher professional development programs, and more." Hmm, parental involvement. Isn't that frowned upon with TERC Investigations? Wouldn't Cyber Days, instead of Snow Days encourage parental involvement?
Elaine
1:58 PM, I wish there was some consistency in the district. I bet you do too.
Elaine
If Mr Crossey would stop pushing for overpriced healthcare and pension contributions for his teachers, then he would have money left over for the kids. But we all know Mr. Crossey will start representing kids when the kids pay union dues - not before.
Chromebook becomes basic tool for local sixth-graders
"Administrators implemented the use of the Chromebook in October, offering 500 students the devices that were paid for with district funds.
Superintendent of Schools Ross Kasun said that because students and society are continually changing, administrators needed to develop classrooms that prepare a new generation of learners to be successful in the 21st century."
http://mtrn.gmnews.com/node/112944
5 best practices in online learning
"Though still in its adoption infancy, online learning in K-12 schools and districts has been around long enough for tech-savvy education leaders to have key insights into what makes an online learning program successful. Thanks to a new national survey, most school and district leaders agree that there are five distinct best practices for online learning."
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/01/10/practices-online-learning-407/
And here in the bubble our initiatives to take our students into the 21st century are, building a bridge over Horsman and a private facility for the super.
so thousand of $$ for a missed day of school? are you all insane?
Yep, 11:08, we're all insane, along with all those K-12 educators in the eschoolnews article, the Farmington, NJ school district for wanting to bring students into the 21st century.
Cyber Days instead of snow days is a very small piece of a very big picture.
Guess its true, "living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding everything you see."
In Park City every high school kid gets macbook air. Middle Schoolers get a laptop too ... #1 district in Utah. Coincidence?
Park City Utah is a VERY wealthy city. ML is not even close. ML started with BYOT and now we have a post that says, "A teacher of my elementary school aged children sent an email inquiring about whether we were reading her email only at work and if so, to contact her so that our children could be provided with internet access at home through a school-related program."
HMM? BYOT and the school will provide the internet access through a welfare project in a tight budget. Yeah Right!
6:50, "a tight budget!????" With a tight budget how does one justify spending $78,000 on a trophy case and handing out $1,000 bonuses?
I'd hate to see what they'd be spending "on the kids" with a budget flush with cash.
Correction- $74,000 trophy case not $78,000.
That budget is so tight that the kids in the elementary schools can't afford a science fair. Who knew it was expensive to showcase work done at home in a classroom after school? Only one school, Howe, provides a science fair opportunity for kids k-5.
I wouldn't sweat the science fair. I'd worry about the poor science curriculum in the elementary schools. Perhaps if they actually taught scientific method in the elementary schools the science fair would actually have projects worth seeing. (I learned it in my rural elementary school in 3rd grade.) When my oldest son participated in Markham's science fair a few years ago he received a single assignment sheet with little information. When we asked the teacher about it he said "just have him do anything he wants as long as it is sciencey. There shouldn't be an experiment just a nice poster for display." Walking around science fair I was completely underwhelmed. I think it was really just another reason for the mommies to get together and gossip. The kids were just the window dressing standing in front of posters.
Speaking of things you won't read in MTL magazine... I wonder if Rob Papke of the Lebo Green Team will be writing a submission to Lebomag on the EPA's turn around on the health impact of artificial turf?
9:16 am. I wasn't concerned with what other projects looked like at the fair. I was concerned that a child was denied access to an extracurricular activity that is usually school-wide and involvement didn't actually require additional resources.
3:16 you totally missed the point. A science fair is nice but totally useless when the science curriculum is so poor. Perhaps if Lebo began to worry about the quality of the education rather than the appearances of a good education things would improve.
It's why we poor money into new school buildings but every year nickel and dime the academic budget to death. Let's put our tax dollars to work on things that will improve academic outcomes across the board.
12: 50 pm Thank you for your additional comment. I agree with you that the science curriculum warrants attention and improvement. That is why we sought in the short-term, as a family, to provide our children with the opportunity for home-schooled science in anticipation of their science fair. The children had a great project but they did not meet the exclusive grade criteria for participation. They had the support of their parents, as well as additional local scientists/researchers and organizations. They did not need any help from school staff or additional resources. When planning the study, we did not know that the fair wasn’t inclusive of the whole school. It's my understanding that a battle was waged to get permission for the fair and that it was initially limited to only fifth graders. This sort of thinking boggles my mind. How could it be a bad idea to make a science fair open to the whole school? The district claims that it appreciates it’s engaged students and parents but only on their terms. They sight limited funding, but I don't think that's the whole story.
12:50 - I appreciate your comment as well. I have been in high tech startup community since the 90s. I made a rash assumption that my son was learning scientific method. So, even though it wasn't a requirement, I made him learn it on his own and then create a real experiment.
And I do agree that an open science fair would be nice. As would science instruction. :-)
11:08- you may want to read this article, imagine wanting to prepare students for a life in the hi-tech 21st century!!!! Must be a lot of insane people in this world.
http://m.greensburgdailynews.com/greensburgdail/pm_113764/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=tKFROy1v
DCCS launches one-to-one iPad initiativeBy Amanda Browning Daily News01/15/2014 2:50 AM
“With our technology, we are wanting to create 21st century learners with 21st century skills. It’s vital for our students to have the skills to use digital media. In the future, computers will be a part of everyday jobs. By starting them in kindergarten, they will be able to enhance that learning and will have the opportunity to develop critical thinking. Learning will be able to go beyond our four walls at the school here. I think this will be a great asset to our school and a great tool to help our kids get ahead,” Holdsworth said."
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