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Notes from Superintendent Dr. Joseph Dubec
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A Message from our Board of Education
Student Technology Showcase
Palos South Students Review Literature Via Podcast
Mrs. Ramoley's First Graders Talk about the Presidential election: Digital Story
Mrs. Buschman's A.M. Kindergarten Class Sing the Palos East School Song
Take a Sneak 'Video' Peek of our Vision in
Action
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So
what is 21st century education? In Palos 118, innovative tools allow students to
acquire 21st century skills in the context of real-world scenarios. With the
integration of video and other media to support instruction, teachers are
breaking the mold to help link students with “out of the box” resources, thus
enabling teachers to accommodate a range of learning styles. In Palos 118, we
are witness to the transformation of our schools through the use of the latest
learning technologies designed to meet the needs of a new, technology-savvy
generation of learners. With the enthusiastic, hands-on support of our Board of
Education, we have combined superior teaching and learning resources as we
implement this vision of education in our schools. These are exciting times to
be a District 118 learner. This first edition of our Palos Point “e-news” will
give you a preview of what is in store for students in the next school year. As
you know, South Middle School is now home to our state-of-the-art Applied
Technology Laboratory. Without the generous support of our Palos 118 Educational
Foundation and the help of our Parent Faculty Association, this awesome new
opportunity for middle school children would not have been possible. Our major
initiative to provide 21st century learning opportunities has begun with the
upgrade to a 17 MG connection to the Internet. Scott Fox, Coordinator of
Information Technology, facilitated this connection to improve all online
district communication efforts such as the parent and student portal at Palos
South, as well as improved access to district, school and teacher websites.
The increase in bandwidth is necessary as our schools go wireless in the next
school year. In addition, phase one of our interactive whiteboard
classroom enhancement will occur this summer with the installation of 80
SmartBoards, document cameras, and sounds systems in classrooms. All of
our schools are scheduled to have these tools by 2010-11. The success of
any technology initiative requires hard work and dedication from our staff who
must learn new technology tools and adapt teaching strategies. A special thank
you to Deb Balayti, Coordinator of Teaching and Learning Technologies, and
teachers; Gina Shem, Gail Curran, Angela Turner, Cori Molinets, and Kim Phelan
for leading our training and initiative, and to all of the teachers who
volunteer to be a part of phase one of the program. 
As we
near the end of the first decade of the 21st century, it’s a bit ironic to read
that many schools are unveiling “21st Century Classroom” initiatives. In
reality, all of our classrooms are, quite literally, 21st century
classrooms
where our 21st century students are learning and growing. District 118 has been
a leader among elementary districts in the use of instructional technology and
information tools for well over a decade. Our students have exhibited great
creativity and talent in demonstrating their learning using multi-media and
digital formats, as you will see in the online gallery of student projects
linked to this newsletter.
As
a Board of Education, we believe that the decisions we make about
education today will allow our students to fulfill their goals for
success tomorrow. As we provide our students with the tools they
will need, we prepare them to enter a workforce where the ability to
think creatively and use technology innovatively is not just necessary
for their success, but paramount to it. The Board of Education of
Palos School District 118 fully supports our technology initiative.
In a recent press
conference, President Barack Obama said “imagine a future where our
children are motivated because they aren’t just learning on blackboards,
but on new whiteboards with digital touch screens; where they don’t
just do book reports but design PowerPoint presentations; where they
don’t just write papers but build websites…” What a timely speech.
District 118 does not have to imagine. District 118 has been a leader
in teaching and learning technologies since the 21st century began! Your
Board of Education continues to imagine and build our future 21st
century classrooms. One of our five goals includes the action target:
“To develop a working model of a 21st century classroom in each school
which contains the most current advances in technology support for
education.” Furthermore, the scope of this target is, “to develop
a technology advanced learning classroom for use in teacher training and
student instruction in each school.” We are so encouraged by the
exciting progress of our district. Our vision is clear. Our
expectations are high. Palos School District 118 is committed to meeting the challenge of educating
students as 21st century learners. Recently, board members
attended the National
School Board Association Technology and Learning Conference where the
three key areas of focus were: getting students engaged in learning;
connecting parents and the community to the learning process; and
transforming districts to 21st century schools. We are proud to report
that Palos 118 is, indeed, ahead of the curve. What an exciting time to
be a Palos 118 student!