The eighth-grade students in Vanessa Wilburn's math class got instant feedback Wednesday as they learned about scientific notation.
With the touch of a button, the Hephzibah Middle School students locked in their answers to a multiple choice question on the room's interactive whiteboard. Tapping her electronic pen to the board, Ms. Wilburn revealed the correct response.
On the first try, about 70 percent of students answered correctly. By the second chance, correct answers increased to more than 80 percent.
"Sometimes they have so much fun they don't even realize they're learning," Ms. Wilburn said in between problems.
Because of a grant, every core class at Hephzibah Middle has an interactive whiteboard. Teachers say the technology helps get students more involved and excited about their learning. Students who have used the equipment said it beats having a normal whiteboard or chalkboard in the class.
"It just doesn't grab our attention like this does," said 14-year-old Casey Harper.
Increasing classroom technology is a goal of Richmond County schools, though not every school is as wired as Hephzibah Middle, said Kim Stripling, the district's acting director of instructional technology.
Some schools have just three interactive whiteboards, she said, adding those with fewer boards usually make certain one is in a central location such as a media center to ensure everyone has access.
"(Teachers) want more," Ms. Stripling said. "When they see what they can do, they are sold."
The school district is examining purchasing more of the boards using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds. Teachers at all schools also are being taught to use the technology so they will be trained when it becomes available, Ms. Stripling said.
Setting up lesson plans to fit the technology took some time up front, Ms. Wilburn said, but she added now she only has to tweak those plans each year. She said student achievement has improved and she can more easily pinpoint any weaknesses a class or student might have.
"Kids learn better when everything is organized," Ms. Wilburn said.
Students also can design their own lessons for the interactive whiteboard.
One of Ms. Wilburn's eighth-grade classes from last year recently won first place for excellence in media in the International Student Media Festival, sponsored by Promethean, which makes the technology. The students produced a math "flip chart" that combined student narration of a lesson about functions with practical problems.
"I like the fact that they've integrated a lot more technology in the school," said Patrick Locklear, 13.
Reach Erin Zureick at (706) 823-3217 or erin.zureick@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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a swift whack on the back of their wrist with a metal ruler will also grab their attention. worked on me at anyrate.
These white boards are wonderful; however, how is the district going to handle bulb replacements for the LCD projectors? Depending on the model, each bulb can cost 300-400 dollars, and will need to be replaced approximately every two years. Is it worth it -- yes! Will we have the money -- who knows!
Yeah but there are only 3 at Laney so go figure. Instead of them looking into sports equipment purchases as to who get's more, they need to supply every classroom at Laney with one of these. I hear they are quite good.
I am outraged. Where is Justus when you need him? Why are these called WHITE boards? This is racism in the highest degree!
dear NOT, i have brining that to the attention of ms. cain and the other "esteemed" members of the school board for quite some time...making note as to where the priorities of the BOE are...they value athletics far more than academics...HERE'S MORE FACTS TO BACK IT UP MS. CAIN...there's money to build new football stadiums (laney, hephzibah) and b-ball gymnasiums (josey, and bids out to have one build for Laney), but there aren't enuff textbooks or schools supplies for students and/or teachers for classroom use. low test scores, failure of all traditional high schools to meet ayp, although the graduation rate advertised is 70%, it is that high because johnson/davidson's graduation rate of nearly, if not 100% give the county an artificially high number because the learning model is different and academics are stressed over sports...you remove the graduation numbers of johnson/davidson then the graduation rate for rich county drops to approx high 50 to low 60 percentile...HEY MS. CAIN HERE'S MORE FACTS FOR YOU...but you see NOT, you will not get and answer for that other than "let's just raise taxes to get more money to fix the problem"..wait...THE MILL RATE IS MAXED or close to it
Lifelongresident, if you voted for the last sales tax then you voted for the stadiums and the white boards that we are installing in the schools. One thing I hate is one who has so much to say but hides behind a fake name. I also what to thank you for all the press you are giving me good or bad. You spend more of your time thinking and writing about me and I thank you! I would love the same opportuity to think and write about the wonderful things you are doing to help move our system forward. Lastly it would be really nice to meet you since you know so much about me. Just maybe I can or other board members can clear up some of your anoymous love affair you have with me and the board. Thank you so much for your concerns I really enjoy reading your post. You know how to reach me when you get the time to talk. I welcome your debate one on one instead of you hiding behind your fake name! I still love you and will pray you find peace. :) Have a wonderful weekend!
Get it Ms. Cain, been fighting for justice in the school system since windsor spring days!
no i did not, move what system forward that rewards schools with low test scores! are you kidding me..how about the new stadium for laney? that was not in the last spost and when the stadium was built what again was their graduation rate? oh!! how about the new b-ball gym for josey built a few years back was that in this past splost? and again what was their graduation rate??? and tell me again why you voted not to raise taxes? it wasn't because your taxes would go up also it was because the BOE maxed out it's mill rate and in order to raise higher you NEED APPROVAL FROM THE STATE! it's not about hiding, it's about the truth.what is your comment regarding augusta school system has the highest dropout rate percentage wise in the entire nation, regardless of the size of the school.higher even than the school district of detroit, mich..so again it's not about hiding i am not on the board making decsions YOU ARE!!!! so don't try to shift the blame it is YOUR DECSIONS NOT MINE THAT PUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE SORRY SHAPE THAT IT IS IN...IF I WERE ON THE BOARD EDUCATION WOULD COME FIRST, THE TAXPAYER SECOND...the taxpayer would see a return on their INVESTMENT
in my world all extra-curricular activities not directly tied to education would be suspended immediately!!! how can you reward schools with gradutation rates less that 75%????? if you cared about education soooooooooo much why are schools lacking necessary supplies and TEXTBOOKS!!! instead of dumbing down the curriculum it would be raised...how come ms. cain anot all high schools are taught on the learning model of johnson/davidson????? these are 2 of best schools in the state and recognized throughout the entire COUNTRY..so tell ms. cain, who makes educational decsionthe PROPERTY OWNERS WHO YOU FORCE TO PAY FOR USELESS, WASTEFUL AND INEFFECTIVE PROGRAMS why not use the education model at johnson/davidson???
lifelongresident you still miss the point! All the building improvements were approved years ago! We are in Phase III of the 1% sale tax. Laney was in all the 1% sales tax which the public voted on and passed. So if you have a problem with the building program and the tech improvements you have a problem with the WHOLE city! Again I lvoe you and guess what the problems the schools system has didn't come over night! This is years way back other supertindents who didn't care our schools were falling apart! No technology for the students or techers. Supplies and bools have been a problem back to 1990. PTA, booster clubs have help support the system. Yes the drop out rate is high, our test scores are better than they have ever been. In fact when I got on the board some were pretty low. But today we are making great progress. I'm sorry its not enough for you, but the parents and most of the people in the community are glad to see the changes wer are making. Want talk about short fall of money from the state. The state miss caculated income by 20% and then forced us to do a budget prior to they having the true numbers. On to AYP many of our schools misssed AYP by a few
no i don't miss the point it is you who misses the point, when you are taxing the property owners out of their homes, for spending other than education, it does not matter when these projects were approved, REFUSED THE MONEY!!!!! BOOSTER CLUBS DID NOT RAISE THE MONEY TO BUILD LANEY'S STADIUM, BOOTER CLUBS DID NOT RAISE THE MONEY TO BUILD JOSEY'S GYM....the point miss cain there is an educational crisis in the black community, LOW TEST SCORES!!! LOW GRADUTATION RATES!!! THE ONES WHO DO GRADUATE ARE BASICALLY ILLITERATE..case in point a couple years ago there was an HONOR STUDENT FROM BUTLER WHO COULD NOT PASS THE SCIENCE SECTION OF HER EXIT EXAM TO GRADUATE AFTER 4 TIMES...so don't tell me i don't get it...there is rampant violence in the schools, why don't you proposed they be expelled immediately, not sent to an alternative school...whether ayp is missed by a few points or a 1000 when you are property owner and your taxes go up but academic achievement goes down all that matters is it was missed!!!!!! if you want to make great progress why not use the education model that is in place at davidson/johnson???
points because of the guidlines for AYP. There are so many things that can keep a school from making AYP like how many days a student is out, your large popluation of children with special needs I could go on and on. But again no matter what, you want to point the fingers at the board. If you want sports out of the schools may I suggest you speak at a board meeting and see the response you will get from the parents who give up weekends supporting the children. Not once have you stated we have made progress and we will continue to make progress with or without your comments. I don't think its fair you sit back and put all our children, parents or the teacher. We are all doing the best we can and we all are working hard to move the system forward. Its just sad all you can see is the negative not anything postive. You want to talk about Laney did you know Laney students beat AR Johnson in a Math comptition? I was standing there when the children returned I saw how proud they were. So leave my kids at laney along! Did you know weh have aat least 10 give a few who willNational award for media and they came from GH Elem, Hep Middle, and Davidson. CC High won the nationa FAA.
Lifelong did you know we have 4 students who have the oppoertunity to do an apprenticeship with NSA, and yes one is a Josey student, Hephzibah High an ARJ. So don't you talk about our failures! Talk about what we are doing! Did you know our graduation rate increased, test scores increased. Don't shot change our teachers and parents who are working hard to move this system forward. I'm sorry you are so unhappy. But for everything you say is wrong with RSC I can tell you everything that s right with our system! I still love you and invite you speak at the next board meeting. If you are so unhappy with Laney tell the parents, booster club and past grads just how unhappy you are with Laney! Tell them you don't want them to have a stadium, or basketball gym, tell them you don't think they care about education and let me know what they tell you! They deserve to have the best just like any other school. Again I love ya!
what was laney's graduation rate at laney again? i guess i missed it??? wasn't ther a lot of hoopla that they made over 50%?? if i am not mistaken wasn't johnson's 100%..i commend the few students who are stuck at laney and are very intelligent and will succeed..but let move on to the test scores..what was the SAT/ACT scores of laney, glen hills, butler etc..ompared to johnson/davidson? how much STATE/NATIONAL recognition did any ot the traditional schools receive concerning academics and how much recognition did davidson/johnson receive again.. i guess i must have missed the articles written about the other high schools, so would you be kind enuff to refer to the magazines, newpapers or any other publication that has article(s) about the academic success of the high schools in rich cnty(other than johnson/davidson) i will appreciated it.oh!! i did read in the AC that your laney was at one point in the recent past designated as the 2nd worse school in the state of ga...right above a deaf school.but i gues tht doesn't count. speak at a BOE meeting with rich cnty having a history of retaliation.......yeah right!!!...since CC HIGH won the national FAA why didn't they meet ayp???
BTW ms. cain can you tell me when there were a full house at one of your board meetings??? 35-40 on the average..and whose to say i haven't SAT IN ON ONE OF YOUR BOE MEETINGS??
ms. caim there are diamonds everywhere, my contention is the OVERALL ACADEMIC PERFOMANCE OF THE SCHOOL!!..NEVER, EVER, EVER WILL I CRITICIZE THE TEACHER OR THE PARENTS WHO ARE ACTIVE IN THERI CHILDS EDUCATION..SO TELL ME WHAT ARE THE PERCENTAGE OF ACTIVE PARENT TO SORRY PARENTS...again look at the learning model at johnson/davidson...the difference between successful schools that graduate 98-100% of their students, meeting ayp yearly, high test scores is PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT!!!! that being said so tell me what is the level of parental involvement in the traditional high schools..you constatnly speak of the gains of a select few...BUT you still haven't, nor probably will answer my main question..1)why won't you institute the learning model used at johnson/davidson????.
you are trying to make it seem i am indicting the teachers/good parents, i am not i am indicting you and the other board members because it is YOU & THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE SENDING GOOD, DEDICATED AND CARING TEACHERS INTO DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS, WITH INSUFFICIENT SUPPLIES and FAILING TO BACK YOUR OWN TEACHERS WITH WHAT EVER THEY NEED. EITHER MORAL, PHYSICAL FINANCIAL OR ANYOTHER SUPPORT....since you care, or claim to give the power back to the teachers!!! institute a uniform policy, institute a ZERO tolerance for any disruptive, disresplectful or violent behavior from students toward ANY STAFF member-instead of an alternative school why not make the alternative expulsion!!! this will create an environment condusive to the learning process and allow those who yearn, crave and strive for an education be able to get one.
Take a deep breath. Breathe in. Hold it. Now, breathe out slowly. Repeat. Call a docor if the anxiety persists.