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YouTube launches schools-friendly video service

December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mr Maclaren said the changes will mean Google’s site will no longer be regarded as a no-go area within some school networks.

“It has some positive aspects, particularly the removal of comments – and ads – which would have made so much of YouTube fall foul of many educational filters.

“Of course, more video material will be useful to students and teachers, particularly those using virtual learning environments where they can embed or ‘mash-up’ content into lessons.”

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Decline in Pasco County school enrollment less than feared

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The district also has seen an increase in participation in home schooling, charter schools and virtual education. It is waiting to learn exact numbers of students attending the Pasco eSchool, which could further reduce the enrollment slide.

Adding to the anticipated financial woes could be financial penalties for failing to meet the 2002 class-size amendment requirements. The state has estimated those fines will be $4,800 for each student over in grades K-3 and $4,400 for each student over in grades 4-12.

The final count indicated that 18.5 percent of elementary classrooms, 15.9 percent of middle school classrooms and 13 percent of high school classrooms were out of compliance, representing 884 students.

That’s better than preliminary counts in which the district was 986 students over the caps, but still well off the established goals of 18 students per teacher in kindergarten through third grade, 22 students in fourth through eighth grade, and 25 students in high school.

“The funding was simply inadequate to meet the mandate without completely devastating noncore area classes,” Romagnoli said.

Pasco was in full compliance with the amendment last year. It joined a growing list of districts that failed to hit the mark this year.

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Green Party’s O’Donnell tops social media report card

October 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If Ottawa’s online political landscape were a virtual high school, the Green Party’s Kevin O’Donnell would be class valedictorian.

The Ottawa Centre candidate gets top marks for his online presence from local social media analyst Mark Blevis, who graded the candidates from nine eastern Ontario ridings in his digital campaign report card released today. In fact, of the 36 candidates Blevis looked at, O’Donnell got the only “A”—perhaps not that surprising, as O’Donnell’s bio highlights his extensive background in the tech sector.

In addition to O’Donnell’s grade, Blevis hands out nine Bs, 17 Cs, six Ds, and three Fs. Generally speaking, the online world remains an “afterthought” for candidates, he says:

Digital remains an afterthought in many campaigns. Oddly, this is just as apparent, perhaps moreso, among the younger candidates as with some of the more seasoned politicians. The role of digital in our lives and as part of politics has evolved substantially in a short time. Candidates and their campaigns need to do their homework when they prepare a strategy. They should know how traditional and digital campaign activities augment each other. Campaigns should also know that people expect to find what they’re looking for, online, and quickly. And, they want quality. The newest wrinkle is, increasingly, people want to engage with their elected representatives.

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Vancouver School Board goes Greek with new language course

August 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Roughly 17,000 people with Greek roots live in B.C., but their language is being lost through second and third generations.

That’s one of the reasons the Vancouver Learning Network, a Vancouver School Board virtual school based at John Oliver secondary, is launching an online Greek language course this September.

The VLN partnered with Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Hellenic Studies, which launched its online course six years ago.

“They had a lot of the content already built that they could give us so that we could get a good start at the course,” explained VLN vice principal Jim Stassinopoulos. “This is community-backed from the Greek community and from the Greek consulate.”

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Teachers, parents outraged over potential staff cuts in Newmarket

April 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If the positions are eliminated, it would save the district $158,616 — $88,120 for the full-time French teacher and $70,496 for the part-time teacher (.8 of a position). However, first- and second-year French programs would no longer be available to students. Students’ options would include enrolling in French through the Virtual High School program in SAU 16 or taking Spanish classes.

Reid also spoke on the necessity of the librarian position, emphasizing that the state requires a librarian for each school.

School Board members also discussed whether to keep in place the 2 percent increases in salaries for administrators and personnel on the top of the pay scale.

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School board warns of student impact as it cuts back on consultants

March 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The positions lost include two literacy mentors, a virtual school consultant, a grade 7 to 12 assessment consultant, two French programming consultants, two technology infrastructure student information system implementation consultants, an active healthy living consultant and three Reading Recovery lead teachers.

Consultants who will lose their jobs were notified on Monday.

Milner said the area will likely have a significant impact on all areas, but specifically French programming.

“I’m particularly concerned about our French languages – we were stretched thin as it was,” he said.

Board superintendent Gary Clarke said the job cuts were not the board’s idea.

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Online learning may overtake classroom, conference told

February 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The classroom may not be a thing of the past but it could be heading for minority status in universities.

An academic and author said Tuesday higher education is quickly moving toward online learning despite universities and faculty that remain steeped in the past and don’t use technology well.

Tony Bates, an educational consultant whose resume includes a stint as a research chair in e-learning in Spain and director of distance education at UBC, spoke to a conference on the digital future of higher education Tuesday at Thompson Rivers University.

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Eastern Canada High School Sets Higher Standards

January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Students also have the options to enroll in online courses and to take additional credits during the summer while tutoring services are available at evenings for those who need it. With a student-teacher ratio at less than 10 students per teacher, students have greater access to teachers, and this guarantees a one-on-one teacher instruction. Such is the quality of the school, which also boasts of teachers holding advanced PhD and MA degrees.

When asked why parents should chose a private school like ECHS where they are expected to pay tuition over public schools that are tuition free, Mr. Abdinur said” public schools can help students succeed if they want to succeed, equally, if they want to fail, public schools can help them fail.” Eastern Canada High School is different because “our goal is to prevent students from failing, by deploying caring teachers who understand the needs and challenges of the students”.

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Abbotsford principal named among tops in nation

January 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Comeau has spent his entire educational career at W. J. Mouat, starting as a biology teacher in 1987. He was then vice-principal for six years before becoming principal.

He said he has felt honoured to be involved with the innovative programs that have developed at the school over the years. This includes the virtual school which began at Mouat, and expanded district-wide, and a program that retrains ESL adults for the workplace.

Comeau said he believes strongly in the school’s motto: “Success for all.”

“Everyone here has a shared vision to be successful … The staff really go the extra mile for the kids.”

The nomination package for Comeau included 25 supporting letters from staff, students, parents, school district colleagues and others.

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Schools: A decade of disappointment

January 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last June, trustees directed district staff to perform a review of programs of choice, which board chair Michael Ewen expects will take up to three years to complete.

Looking ahead to the next decade, the district is embracing the computer age and utilizing new learning programs. It is just beginning to see the academic benefit of Fast ForWord, learning software designed to help struggling readers improve brain fitness and strengthen brain processing. Another program that the district has implemented is Universal Design for Learning, an approach to teaching, learning and assessment that draws on new brain research and technology. One more sign of the times – registration is swelling in the district’s online classes, which were introduced on a small scale in New Westminster more than a decade ago. The virtual classes really took off about three years ago when the New Westminster Teachers Union and the district partnered to enhance and expand the program by offering online classes to both adult learners and secondary students, assistant superintendent Al Balanuik told The Record.

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