Classrooms for the Future
Colonial School District is among the first districts to receive a "Classrooms for the Future" grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
By News Staff
In September 2006, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced "Classrooms for the Future," an initiative to transform the high school learning experience. The program will put a laptop computer on every high school English, math, science and social studies desk and provide teachers with a multimedia workstation and intensive training to enhance education. The governor's 2006-07 budget provided $20 million for the first year of the initiative, with plans to expand the program statewide.
An additional $6 million in state and federal resources will be used to train teachers and administrators on how to best harness the power of technology to enhance classroom discussions, lessons and projects.
In addition to the laptops, each classroom will be equipped with an interactive whiteboard and projector, Web cams and other video cameras. Teachers and students will also have access to imaging software.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Web site, Classrooms for the Future "is designed to ensure there is a laptop on every high school classroom desk in English, Math, Science and Social Studies in all public high schools and career and technical centers in Pennsylvania ... High school students are poised to enter the global marketplace or to continue their education beyond preK-12 and it is our obligation to prepare them within a short window of opportunity." Seventy-nine school districts were selected to participate in the first year of the program.
The Colonial School District is among the first districts to receive a Classrooms for the Future grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The $202,539 grant is among the largest issued to a single school and will be used to purchase 192 wireless student laptops for classroom use the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) Social Studies Department, as well as provide staff development and training.
The entire PWHS campus was equipped with wireless capability as part of an extensive upgrade of technology resources. Interactive whiteboards and high-powered digital overhead presenters connected directly to a video/data projector for real-time viewing were installed in 52 classrooms in time for the start of the school year. There are presently 90 of these classrooms engaging students in the Colonial School District this fall. An additional 32 classrooms are scheduled to be online for the 2007-08 school year thanks to the ongoing support of the community and the school board of directors.
"This grant confirms that the Colonial School District has been on the cutting edge of technology and the use of technology to deliver curriculum for the past three years," said Superintendent Dr. Vincent F. Cotter. "From extensive use of data analysis to interactive classrooms, Colonial has been a leader in utilizing technology to educate our students. This grant gives us the impetus to accelerate our technology implementation schedule."
As part of its Classrooms of the Future Grant, Colonial uses a server-based digital video delivery system, a pre-screened academic content search engine, Internet2 and conferencing solutions. In spring 2006, middle school students learned about Australia's Great Barrier Reef through a video conference with instructors from down under.
The district Web site is an integral portal for students, teachers, parents, community members and school board members to stay informed on major developments taking place in the district. The K-12 social studies curriculum is online and available to all stakeholders. Resources aligned with the curriculum are also available via the Web site. Teachers have created best practice lessons that can be implemented and shared using all of the technologies available; this model is currently being applied to other content areas such as language arts, science and math. The district continues to expand the framework, moving to a portal solution to provide all the instructional tools necessary for the 21st century classroom.
Laptop equipment from the Classrooms for the Future grant is expected to be released to the district first as one of selected pilot schools ready for implementation into the classroom instructional program. The 192 wireless laptops are just the first phase in the Classrooms for the Future grant from PDE. Approximately 720 additional laptops will be brought online in the next two years, pending finding approval by the Pennsylvania Legislature. Those laptops will support the language arts, math and science curriculum.
Classrooms for the Future is a $250 million, three-year comprehensive high school reform project that leverages all of Pennsylvania's education efforts. The program recognizes and embraces the need for high school reform, enables teachers to use technology as an effective tool for educating students and prepares students to enter and successfully compete in the ever-expanding high-tech global marketplace.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
RESPONSE: Mosaic Ghana Africa / Offer to Participate and Endorse
Hi Joe:
CONGRATULATIONS on the continuing development of a "meaningful conversation" regarding the various opportunities and possibilities represented by the identified constituents namely Ghana, West Africa and the United States of America.
As you and I have discussed on many occasions this is truly a mission which is dear to our organizations hearts, minds and endeavors. Over the last several years we have crossed paths several times on this "purity of purpose" undertaking. Witness, our seminal discussions and interactions with our Detroit community partners at the "Friends of Detroit & Tri-County" community learning center and mutual efforts on behalf of the "Gateway to West Africa Project" orchestrated by Chief, Nana Kwaku Yiadom. Additionally, we have participated in and supported from its inception the annual Oakland Schools "Global Trade Mission" efforts under the leadership and tutelage of Dr. Marlana Krolicki, Oakland Schools ISD, by providing real-world, subject-matter experts, leadership-speakers from the Sub-Saharan Continent of Africa namely Mr. Edo Mansaluca (2 years) of Angola, West Africa and The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chief Nana Kwaku Yiadom (2 years) of Ghana, West Africa. Clearly, as you and I will agree these are not merely co-incidences but rather may indeed be guided by a much higher-ordered hand.
Your invitation to participate and/or endorse these continuing efforts via Mosaic Ghana Africa is well received by our organization and we wish to affirm our continuing commitment and support to this shared alignment of purpose. Of course as they say, "the devil is in the details" and without a thorough understanding of those details on our part we are unable to define the potential depths of our contributions and involvement. Perhaps a "meeting of the minds" is in order to further our base-understanding of this undertaking and to "plumb the depths" of the various possibilities this truly collaborative opportunity represents? Additionally, if you would kindly forward the Mosaic Ghana Africa Information/Media Kit (address below) as you proposed it would be much appreciated and serve to facilitate our deeper understanding.
Although I can not speak for Kent Roberts and his organization (Civility Center), nor would I assume to, I'm sure he would resonate with this collaborative missions intentions. His organization and his personal message, mission and mind would be a great addition and complement to this endeavor.
Finally, as you may or may not know "21st Century Digital Learning Environments" has been deeply embedded in the Detroit Public Schools system via Northwestern High School and the AIM Program (Achievement In Motion) for much of the last year. This is a "stellar" leading-edge technological K-12 Education Model Program under the visionary direction and leadership of Dr. Shedrick Ward, Director, Detroit Public Schools, Science Math and Technology Resource Center. Dr. Ward is also the sole-author of the Detroit Public Schools Technology Plan (2006) which in my humble opinion, is the finest example of an K-12 Education Technology Plan in this country. Perhaps there are some cross-pollination opportunities to "share the wealth" through this undertaking.
Please let us know what your thoughts might be. Much continued success!
Kind regards,
Jim
Jim Ross, president
21st Century Digital Learning Environments
41810 Huntington Ct.
Clinton Township, MI 48038
586-228-0608
Response: Dr. Marlana Krolicki, Oakland Schools Global Trade Mission
| "Krolicki, Marlana" | ||||||
| to | James Ross | |||||
| date | Mar 27, 2007 11:38 AM | |||||
| subject | RE: Mosaic Ghana Africa | |||||
| mailed-by | oakland.k12.mi.us | |||||
Thanks Jim, We certainly enjoyed Chief Nana Kwaku at GTM, and all the coaches and volunteers.
You bring valuable and interesting social capitol to the table!
thanks again!
Marlana
Friday, March 23, 2007
Ghana, West Aftica, Trade Mission
Hi John, Jim and Kent,
I trust all is well and sincerely wish you are getting everything out of life that you desire. I am sending this to you based on our previous discussions on ways to potentially develop and expand
The main purpose for contacting you is to ask you to consider participating and/or endorsing this mission, known as Mosaic Ghana Africa™. As a Participant, you would experience the cultural and business aspects of
I look forward to your thoughts and comments regarding Mosaic Ghana Africa™. An informational/media kit is available and can be sent upon request. Please feel free to forward this information to friends and colleagues. . As a note, it is my intention to make a pre-Tour trip and I have permission from the House of Chiefs to videotape many aspects of my pre-Tour trip including spending overnight in a local village like I did in
Best regards and have a great week.
Joe
Joseph P. Cool
President
Cool & Associates, Inc.
248 683 1130
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Leonard Pitts on "What Works" for Education in Urban Populations
NPR RADIO
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8898739
Talk of the Nation, March 14, 2007 · Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts talks about his series, "What Works?" where he asks his readers to present him not with problems, but with solutions for improving the lives of black children in five specific areas: self-esteem, violence prevention, education, fatherlessness and poverty.
Leonard Pitts E-mail: lpitts@herald.com
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8898739
Talk of the Nation, March 14, 2007 · Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts talks about his series, "What Works?" where he asks his readers to present him not with problems, but with solutions for improving the lives of black children in five specific areas: self-esteem, violence prevention, education, fatherlessness and poverty.
Leonard Pitts E-mail: lpitts@herald.com
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Congratulations! Northwestern High School Cited in "State of the City" Mayoral Speech
AIM "Makes it's Indelible Mark" for Educational Excellence!
HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF!
http://www.wwj.com
Kilpatrick tells Detroit: Let's tackle crime, grime together
'Nobody's coming to save us'
March 14, 2007
Saying it's time for Detroiters to stop blaming outsiders for the city's ills, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick called on residents Tuesday to take personal responsibility and promised a more focused government that would reduce crime by adding 200 police officers, establish job centers and restore six neighborhoods with an aggressive, five-year plan.
He said he wants to do that and more without raising taxes. In fact, the mayor said he'll cut both property and income taxes, though he would not say how the city, already facing a $96-million deficit, would make up the money.
Kilpatrick made the comments in his sixth State of the City speech at Orchestra Hall with much of his administration and City Council in attendance.
Residents besieged by crime in some of the city's forgotten neighborhoods hope the mayor can make good on his promises.
Mary Abner, 49, who lives on the east side near Davison and 6 Mile, wants to take the mayor's message to heart and hopes her neighbors will, too.
"If he holds up to all that he's talking about, we're rolling," Abner said. "I liked everything about it, especially the part on the neighborhoods and the crime and the kids."
Touching on a tried-and-true mayoral theme hit hard during the administration of Dennis Archer, the mayor strongly took Detroiters to task for the crime ravaging the city. He called on parents to become active in their children's lives, pastors to engage in the neighborhoods where they preach and residents to clean their sidewalks, fix up their homes and reclaim their streets.
"My beloved community, I truly understand the history of African-American people in this country," he said. "But we have come to a point in our community where this is no outside conspiracy doing this to us. This is us killing us. ... And we, as a community, have to stop it now. Nobody's coming to save us."
The more than 2,000 people, including state Sen. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Detroit Democrat; city appointees, community activists, residents, pastors and business leaders who packed the hall for the invitation-only event cheered the loudest when he called for personal action and laid out his plan to fight crime. They gave him several standing ovations.
Citing that 70% of homicides are narcotics-related, Kilpatrick called on parents to warn their children about the dangers of the thug life.
"We need to help them understand that the so-called glamorous life that they see in some of these videos is not reality," he said.
"We need to help our children understand that, when you get involved in drugs and sitting in a drug house, there's no high-priced champagne, there's no dancing pretty girls, no nice clothes. There's no bling bling. You can get killed."
The number of homicides in the city increased by almost 10% from 2005 and 2006, according to the Police Executive Research Forum, which tracks crime trends in the country.
A significant portion of the mayor's speech focused on an anticrime strategy that calls for hiring 200 police officers to complement the city's 3,100-member force. The mayor said he will augment the force by deploying a SWAT team to patrol areas where there is significant drug dealing or high incidence of robberies and shootings, as well as creating rapid-response units for priority 911 calls.
Patrol officers will be joined by desk officers and commanders, including Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings, who will be deployed during weekend nights to hot-spot areas, such as nightclubs, party stores and all-night restaurants.
Thomas Wilson Jr., a west-side resident who is president of the Northwestern District Police Community Relations Organization, said the mayor's crime fighting plan did not go far enough to beef up a police department that at its height had more than 5,000 members.
"He's saying he's going to put 200 officers on the street, but you have so many police officers retiring or leaving," Wilson said. "You've got people leaving out the back door of the house and people walking in the front. Does the house ever get full? No.
"It's one thing to tell the chief to take the streets back. It's another to have the manpower to do it," he said.
For all the rhetoric in the mayor's speech, it was still light on the specifics of how he plans to accomplish many of his promises. He has said he will unveil more specifics on funding in coming weeks.
The money issue is critical. Last week, the mayor mentioned a bond initiative he said would fund some of his ideas.
Kilpatrick also announced Tuesday some financial assistance for his Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative from several foundations and agencies, including the Knight and Skillman foundations.
The mayor said he would address the deficit and the city's fiscal state when he presents his budget plan to the City Council on April 12. He said the current year would end in the black, but he has made that pledge before, and the year-end deficits have always been higher than the mayor estimates.
The mayor also pledged to make workforce development a critical component of his administration, creating programs to help Detroiters in all aspects of job hunting, from preparing resumes and developing employable skills to finding jobs with growth potential.
He said, by year's end, the city's Workforce Development Center will create career centers to help people find jobs in such high-demand industries as health, information technology, construction and retail.
"The only thing this process requires of each participant is personal commitment to be ready to learn and to prepare themselves to work," Kilpatrick said. "That means going to class. That means developing the skills that will make you employable. That means good work habits. And, yes, it means passing the drug test."
He also outlined his plan to transform six city neighborhoods but offered few specifics since announcing the initiative in December.
Meanwhile, he said, the city is working with the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, to develop a strategy over the next three years to assess the buying power in Detroit's neighborhoods in order to attract more businesses.
"They have been very successful in convincing retailers who once said no to a community to actually change their decision and locate in the that community," Kilpatrick said.
"We know Detroiters can shop with the best of them," he said. "And we deserve and have the right to have the best retail in our communities."
At least one mayoral critic, Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, liked what she heard about revitalizing the neighborhoods and even pledged to help him find the funding.
"I thought he was right on target," she said. "I'll do my part to help him find the money."
Contact MARISOL BELLO at 313- 222-6678 or bello@freepress.com. Staff writers Kathleen Gray and Suzette Hackney contributed.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
Monday, March 12, 2007
LETTER: Oakland Schools Follow-up on Ghana Global Trade Mission 2007
Marlana Krolicki
Project Director, Global Trade Mission
Oakland Schools ISD
2100 Pontiac Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328-2735
Ref: Global Trade Mission 2007 Event
Dr. Krolicki:
It was indeed a pleasure seeing you again and participating once again as a presenter during your outstanding Global Trade Mission 2007 event. (Pick it up here Chief)
(Expand on your Ghana, Gateway to West Africa Program outlining the deliverables, etc. Additionally, you may wish to tie in your efforts with DPS and Dr. Ward)
Best,
Jim
Project Director, Global Trade Mission
Oakland Schools ISD
2100 Pontiac Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328-2735
Ref: Global Trade Mission 2007 Event
Dr. Krolicki:
It was indeed a pleasure seeing you again and participating once again as a presenter during your outstanding Global Trade Mission 2007 event. (Pick it up here Chief)
(Expand on your Ghana, Gateway to West Africa Program outlining the deliverables, etc. Additionally, you may wish to tie in your efforts with DPS and Dr. Ward)
Best,
Jim
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