Technology + Online + Industry + Partnerships
Aldine ISD Takes $1 Million Broad Prize
The use of a social networking tool proves pivotal in the
selection of the Texas district to receive the annual honor.
Aldine Independent School District (TX)
was recently named the recipient of the 2009
Broad Prize for Urban Education, a distinction
that carries with it $1 million in college scholarships
for students.
WE HAVE A WINNER Representatives from Texas’ Aldine Independent
School District accept the 2009 Broad Prize for Urban Education.
A panel of judges for the Eli and Edythe
Broad Foundation,
which administers the annual prize, selected
Aldine from among the 100 largest urban
school districts in the United States. Foundation
representatives said that Aldine outperformed
districts with similar economic demographics
in reading and math; demonstrated high proficiency
in reading and math among economic
and ethnic/racial subgroups; closed achievement
gaps; proved that academic proficiency
does not have to be predicted by family income
level; and adopted districtwide policies that
set "clear, rigorous expectations for teachers
and principals" and provide "easy access to
instructional resources and student performance
information."
Panelists selected the winner based on student
performance data analyzed by Massachusetts-based
education consultancy SchoolWorks, which also conducted
on-site interviews.
Aldine is the 66th-largest school district in
the country, with more than 60,000 students and
4,000 teachers in 72 schools. More than eight
out of 10 students in the district qualify for free
or reduced-price lunches, and 31 percent are
English language learners.
According to the information released by
the Broad Foundation, technology has played
a significant role in Aldine's success, in particular
its use of Triand,
an online social networking tool that focuses
on curriculum design, instructional delivery,
and assessment.
Using the tool, teachers work in teams,
going over frequently missed test questions
and evaluating how their instruction could
be altered to help students better
demonstrate knowledge of the subject.
Evaluations are based on
reports generated through Triand,
which in turn reflect assessment
data collected from core subjects
throughout the school year.
In addition, school leaders are
required to use the tool to review
teachers' lesson plans on a weekly
basis. They also review assessment
data to identify students with special
needs, and then use the information to
develop "targeted staff development in
schools where problems were detected." A more
thorough explanation of the district's practices
can be found here.
The more than $1 million in scholarships
awarded to Aldine ISD will be distributed to
students entering two- or four-year colleges
and universities according to academic performance
and economic need.
To read this article in its entirety, visit here.
Green Spot
EDUCATORS AWARDED ENVIRONMENTAL PD COURSES
The National Environmental
Education Foundation and The Weather
Channel awarded 19 high school teachers
across the nation with the 2009
Classroom Earth Professional
Development Grants. Funding from
the grants will allow the winners
to take two online graduate-level
courses offered by the Environmental
Education and Training
Partnership through the University of Wisconsin-
Steven Point. The classes will focus
on environmental education,
defined by the foundation as
"the process, activities, and experiences--
across disciplines-- that
lead students to have a greater
understanding of how the earth's
resources and natural systems
work and interact with each other
and with human-made systems."
Teachers applied for the
grants through Classroom Earth, a
website dedicated to increasing
the incorporation of environmental
education in high schools. The
site, created by the National
Environmental Education Foundation
and The Weather Channel,
offers a variety of resources to
teachers, including updates on
green news and events, a library
of environment-related content
for lesson plans, and funding
and professional development
opportunities.
To see a list of the grant winners,
visit here.
:: Awards and Contests
GOOGLE OFFERS FREE EDUCATION
APPS. Google has
announced the release of Google Apps
Education Edition, an ad-free version
of Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sites,
and their integrated tools. The hosted
service, which features communication
and collaboration tools such as e-mail,
document sharing, group calendars, and
websites, is available at no cost to all
K-12 schools and districts. Schools that
sign up for Google Apps Education
Edition by July 2010 will also receive
Google Message Security, powered by
web and e-mail security company Postini, at no charge. For
more information, visit here.
SIIA RELEASES UPDATED ANTI-PIRACY
VIDEO. The Software & Information
Industry Association (
SIIA) has released a sequel to its 1992
anti-piracy video and cult hit, "Don't
Copy That Floppy." Like the original
video, "Don't Copy That 2" uses humor
and rap to shed light on the serious
consequences of pirating copyrighted
works, but has been updated for the
21st century. "Don't Copy That Floppy"
star MC Double Def DP (Digital Projector)
is back for the new video, and
he continues his rap crusade against
software pirates in the digital age.
"Don't Copy That 2" can be viewed by
anyone
here, on
YouTube, or on iTunes. SIIA also plans
to release an extended version of the
educational video to K-12 classrooms
later this year.
:: Industry News
MICROSOFT HONORS INNOVATIVE
EDUCATORS. At its Innovative Teachers
Forum in Mountain View, CA, in late
August, Microsoft honored US educators who creatively
and effectively teach with technology.
At the event, close to 40 teachers presented
their original classroom projects
to a panel of judges from NASA, the Silicon Valley Education
Foundation,
and the Puget Sound Center for Teaching,
Learning, and Technology in competition for the US
Innovative Teachers Award. The
winners were Autumne Streeval and
Harriet Armstrong from Columbus
East High School (IN) for their Industrial
Revolution Tic Tac Toe project,
which can be viewed here. The two women will
represent the US in November at the
Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum
and competition in Brazil. For more
information, visit here.
This article originally appeared in the October 1, 2009 issue of THE Journal.