Highlights of Technology and Learning

by Charlie MacDonald
Director of Technology, Marshall Public Schools

Throughout Michigan, school districts are developing and delivering exciting experiences for students K-12 through educational technology. Here at Marshall Public Schools we would like to share some of programs that have engaged our students.

Students and staff at all levels are enjoying the challenge of locating library media books and resources using a new online database called TLC. Library media specialists Marsha Lambert and Shannon Clark have been teaching the middle and high school students Boolean searching techniques to improve their search strategies. The student responses to TLC have been enthusiastic and very positive. The system allows access from the media centers, classrooms and from the students’ homes. To look at the new system visit the Marshall Public Schools website at www.marshall.k12.mi.us and click on the Library link to explore. We appreciate the generosity of the Cronin Foundation in providing this wonderful learning resource.

Marjorie Crilly, a special education teacher at Hughes Elementary School, obtained a Vida Mumby Grant this year and purchased a program called Reading Naturally. She is introducing this program with other Hughes teachers as an enhancement to the existing curriculum. The staff is setting student levels and helping students meet their reading goals. This program is research-based and highly praised by districts that use it. All stories are non-fiction and based on social studies and science. The goals are good reading fluency, better comprehension, and self-confidence in reading for the students.

The elementary computer teacher is Shannon Robinson. She is helping elementary students at Gordon, Hughes, and Walters choose a favorite book to read online and then using Illustrator to digitally draw pictures. They use keyboarding skills to research famous historical people and gain more information about Michigan. Word processing and presentation programs are used to share their work with the other students.

We welcomed in 2007 with a new web page for Marshall Public Schools. The goals we sought in the initial re-design of the web page were to:

• Update the visual appearance, update the content, and delete out-dated information.
• Create a design with the latest web editing software to insure a web page that is easily navigated on the Internet.
• Create a design that can be quickly and easily updated as needed.
• Give us a foundation for future online functionality that will be utilized in the classroom.

The Technology Department will continue to highlight Marshall Public School activities throughout the year.

For more information on this topic, contact the Superintendent's Office at 781-1250, extension 1105.

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