July 1, 2008
Aten Hut! A call to honor for three school districts of distinction.
Posted by Colleen O'Brien, NSBA Staff, at 11:14 AM | Salute Districts | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
NSBA has announced the 2008 Salute Districts: Avoca School District 37 in Ill., Genesee Intermediate School District in southeast Mich., and Minnetonka School District in Minn.
These three school districts are being honored for their focus and commitment to the use of technology in education to improve student achievement. The Salute District honor is a recognition program of NSBA’s Technology Leadership Network that showcases school districts that have effectively executed technology resources to make a positive impact on learning. The three Salute Districts will be honored during NSBA’s 2008 T+L Conference in Seattle, October 28-30, 2008.
Avoca School District in Wilmette, Ill., which enrolls nearly 700 students, was selected for its commitment to continuous improvement and its technology literacy initiative. Their program is designed to develop technology literacy skills for kindergarteners through eighth graders with a particular focus of instruction in each grade. Students develop electronic portfolios to show an overall snapshot of their skills that include evidence of projects to highlight creativity and innovation, digital citizenship, and technology operations.
Genesee School District in Flint, Mich., is honored for its technology network “GenNET” which transmits voice, video, and data to more than 234 buildings in the district and its leadership initiatives to ensure that district educators have the professional development opportunities they need to maximize the infrastructure investment. The district is a Regional Educational Service Agency that serves 21 public school districts and 10 public school academies in Genesee County. It is a leader for its online learning, two-way interactive technology, and Interactive Television program used to maximize learning and teaching for students and teachers.
Minnetonka Public Schools in Minn., which serves 7,800 students, is recognized for its successful integration of technology throughout its curriculum and its commitment to professional development. All kindergarten through eighth-grade classrooms and seventy-five percent of high school classrooms are enhanced with SMART boards, among other resources, to increase time spent on tasks by students and encourage direct engagement between students and teachers, enabling teachers to easily assess the level of a student’s understanding. Teachers commit to 30 hours of professional development during year one with a SMART Board and ongoing training in subsequent years.
“While the Salute Districts were recognized for their overall accomplishments with technology, each highlights an essential element critical to their successes,” said Ann Flynn, NSBA’s director of education technology. “Visionary leadership with a commitment to continuous improvement, a robust and reliable infrastructure, and technology professional development embedded in content areas are key components that should be replicated if other districts want to create environments that support 21st century learning.”
These districts demonstrate the fruit of hard work, vision, leadership and commitment to excellence. As a nation constantly striving to increase their national and international standing these districts are proof of the positive strides, results, and standards that the US public education system has and will continue to produce as well as their commitment to American children. NSBA is proud to recognize these exemplary districts and showcase the wonderful efforts across the country through the Salute program!