2. Since 1997 Bedford students have benefitted from this Countywide educational Technology Millage WE MUST RENEW on May 3, 2011
3. This IS NOT a new tax. This IS NOT a tax increase. Help us maintain the level of support our students have depended on for the past 14 years.
4. Bedford benefits the MOST of the 9 county school districts .9866 millage levied… Bedford only = $974,000/yr Countywide = $1,233,659/yr $259,659 more for BPS
9. Bill Boyd, author and teacher from Scotland, dressed as pirate here…connected with Kim Powell’s 4th graders to celebrate World Read Aloud Day, March 9, 2011. He read aloud an excerpt of Treasure Island as the class is studying about the mystery genre and has been writing pirate stories.
10. Mrs. Powell extending a microphone to a student who is asking Pirate Bill a question. The surround sound speaker system in the room allows students to easily hear and participate in the conversation.
11. Author Richard Newsome connected with the 4th graders for World Read Aloud day. He lives in Australia and rose at 5:00 am to talk to our students. He read an excerpt from his mystery, Billion’s Curse and answered student’s questions about writing, editing, and publishing his book.
12. Mr. Newsome is showing students how he begins his writing process with a spiral bound idea notebook. He shared with students how he gets ideas for stories and answered many questions about what it’s like to live in Australia. He even took his webcam outside to show students an Australian sunrise as it was happening.
13. Students using laptops Mobile laptops are used daily…with the limited number of computer lab spaces in a building…students and teachers are able to enjoy more access as they spend time researching, writing, and creating digital projects. (the jhs will have mobile laptop carts when the 6th graders move there next year as they previously opted for another hardwired computer lab instead of mobile carts).
14.
15. Students using smartboard 5th grade classroom is playing a fraction game using the smartboard…students were learning about proper and improper fractions
16. Students using smartboard Students had to match the fractions with the pizzas and explain to the class how they arrived at their answers. Students use smartboards to participate in interactive activities and games as well as virtual dissections and simulations.
17. We are striving to preparing our students for the world in which they will enter as young adults…a digital world…a global world where people collaborate in virtual environments on a daily basis and use technology to accomplish their work.
20. We will be studying feasibility of a 1 to 1 project where each student would have their own device to use. Grade level and type of device would be part of the study. We know that giving daily, ubiquitous one to one access to students will promote a more rich learning environment and provide more opportunities for differentiated (customized) instruction. We are striving to provide students with the technological knowledge, experience, and skills that will be required of them as they enter higher education and training or the workforce.
21. May 3, 2011 Please remind parents, grandparents, young adults, & EVERY citizen who values education to vote.
Moodle is a learning management system Bedford will be implementing with teachers and students. Similar to the commercial Blackboard LMS that most universities and colleges use to manage online content where students take online quizzes, participate in forums, collaborate using wikis, write blogs, upload and download media and assignments…we are teaching our students skills they will use beyond high school and can be easily transferred to other systems. This system will also afford teachers an easy way for students to access materials and complete school assignments remotely from home.
While we have projectors available for teachers to use we are going to install short throw projectors in each classroom. Short throw projectors have the advantage of limiting the shadow cast on the board, reduces bulb glare seen by the audience, and because of the short projection distance, teachers and students won’t have to look directly into the bulb light when standing facing the class.
