A letter from the high school principal

Someone forwarded this email to me today.  I don't have children at the high school, but I still like to be informed of pilot programs, especially concerning technology.  I thought it would be something other taxpayers would be interested in reading, as well.

Dear Mt. Lebanon High School Parents/Guardians:

I'm pleased to announce the introduction of the Mt. Lebanon High School "Bring Your Own Technology" initiative that allows students to utilize their personal technology devices under certain circumstances and in certain areas of the high school building. This pilot program will focus on empowering students to use their personal technology devices for learning purposes in our educational setting.

This new initiative will be implemented in two ways as described below.

1. Beginning today in the high school library, guest network internet access is available to all faculty, staff, students, and guests. Students may now bring and use their own larger personal technology devices such as laptops, netbooks, iPads, Kindles, etc., in the library. In other words, the high school library is now considered a wi-fi "hot-spot" in ways similar to that of the public library, a coffee shop, a Panera's restaurant, etc. Please note that the use of cell phones/iPhones is still prohibited in the library.

2. The second option available to students and teachers will occur within individual classrooms. A group of teachers have volunteered to participate in this pilot program by allowing the use of students' personal technology devices including larger devices (laptops, netbooks, iPads, Kindles, etc.) and personal hand-held devices (cell phones, iPhones, iPods, etc.) within their classroom if their use is appropriate as part of the teacher's lesson. Participating teachers will inform students if they are participating in this pilot, and they will inform students when they are permitted to bring in and use a personal technology device in their class. (At all other times, use of these personal technology devices continues to not be permitted including in hallways, other classrooms, etc., during the school day.)

Please note that if your son or daughter brings a personal technology device, including a laptop, iPad, iPhone, etc., to school to use in the library or in a class with a teacher's approval, he or she is solely responsible for the security and maintenance of their device.

The high school faculty, administration, and district technology department, will be evaluating the outcomes of this pilot throughout the semester with the possibility of expanding the program during the 2nd semester. The cooperation of all students will be essential in helping to make this a successful initiative.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.


Sincerely,

Brian R. McFeeley

Principal
Mt. Lebanon High School

B.Y.O.T.

While Dr. Steinhauer pitches his technology presentation on "Bring Your Own Technology" and the sports groups plead for more fields, in addition to the multi million dollars being spent for the high school sports facility, here is what Chartiers Valley is doing with their money. They are providing 1,325 laptops to their high school students.  The students will return them upon graduation.

While our school board discusses the pluses and minuses of auxiliary gyms, spends almost two months discussing Blue Devil blue, and sports groups rally for more fields, CV students are enjoying the smell of new computers.  Go Blue!

Update: Chartiers Valley secondary students each to get computer,

The One-to-One laptop initiative came about because of feedback from parents, faculty and administrators during last fall's strategic planning process, which determined that integrating technology would improve student enthusiasm for learning and consequently boost achievement.

In Mt. Lebanon, the school board directors will be getting new laptops, to replace the ones that were supplied in the "Go Paperless" test a year ago. 

Thank goodness for Office Depot

Just days after approving a 3.5% increase or 5.42% when including the additional week of pay (Bill Matthews' calculations on Blog-Lebo) for Dr. Steinhauer, we read this tale of woe.

Mt. Lebanon School District spokeswoman Cissy Bowman said tissues are among the few items elementary school students are asked to bring at the height of the winter cold season; the district provides most other school supplies. Mt. Lebanon students are expected to provide their own backpacks, binders and, for high school students, graphing calculators, which can cost $100 or more, depending on their complexity.
The district's budget for supplies has shrunk year after year, down 2.7 percent in 2011-12 to $1,325,716, said Bowman.
"Our supply budget's gone down; it keeps getting sliced and sliced," she said, but parents haven't been expected to pick up the slack yet. The district has been able to maintain its current system through a favorable contract to buy supplies through Office Depot, Bowman said.

This also follows the Technology Presentation given on Monday evening. See page 15 for "Bring Your Own Technology." 

Are we still excited?  After all, it's for the children.

Read more: As supply costs rise, school districts conserve, look to parents - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_751993.html#ixzz1VWoOkZkd