Three New Computer Labs Open Thanks to Timothy Smith Network Donation

Thanks to a generous donation by the Timothy Smith Network, the Hale, Trotter and Blackstone schools have all opened brand new computer labs this year.  The Timothy Smith Network donated $25,000 to each of the schools to purchase the new computer equipment.  The Nathan Hale school installed a new lab that features a SMARTBoard with integrated projector and 17 new iMac desktop computers.  The Blackstone School purchased thin-client multi-seat computers to completely renew two computer labs.  They were also able to establish a "mini-lab" of six computers in their Parent Center, which allows parents access to technology for Parent University and Parent ESOL classes that are held at the school.  Director of Accelerated Improvement at the Blackstone, Lisa Lineweaver, said "We are very appreciative of this generous donation from the Timothy Smith Foundation and excited about the boost to learning and student engagement that is sparking at the Blackstone."

The Trotter Elementary school used the donation to purchase 25 brand new PC's for their computer lab.  They are very excited to use the new machines for research, developing podcasts, presentations and utilizing intervention programs such as First in Math and Reading Counts.  They are also confident that the new lab will help to increase participation in their Technology Goes Home program which is a city-wide program that provides families with 15 hours of technology skills training.  At the end of the training graduates can purchase a netbook at an incredibly low price as well as qualify for discounted internet access.  The computers that were in the Trotter lab before the donation were older had become unreliable, costing the students valuable learning time.

A fourth school, the Higginson-Lewis school, also received a Timothy Smith Grant.  They purchased a number of different interactive technologies for their classrooms, including Mobi mobile interactive whiteboards, document cameras and iPads.

The Boston Public Schools would like to thank the Timothy Smith Network and their executive director, Susan O'Connor, for their continued support of our students, families and schools.

Sharing, Collaborating, and Working with Colleagues - 21st Century Leadership Cadres

Teams of teachers and administrators in 15 schools and 2 central Academic Departments came together this week to share best practices related to learning with technology via the 21st Century Leadership Cadres Professional Development. Highlights of the day included use of QR codes for workflow in the classroom and “above the line” teaching practices related to 21st Century Learning. The goal of our leadership cadre is build a core group of educational technology leaders in each school. This year’s program pilots the use of iPads for instruction. It also provides time to “share, collaborate, and work with colleagues” which are key needs that teachers shared at the Superintendent’s Teach + Share this week.

The 21st Century Leadership Cadres is a yearlong professional development opportunity sponsored by the Office of Instructional and Information Technology (OIIT) and Apple Professional Development, that aims to develop cadres of leaders and teachers embedding 21st Century Skills into teaching and learning.  Each cadre is made up of school teams that include one Principal/Headmaster and two teachers who participate in face to face learning sessions and online collaborations. This is the third year that the BPS has offered the 21st Century Leadership Cadres. 

Senior staff members from the Department of Homeland Security visit students from John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science

Students from Mr. Henry’s AP Computer Science class and member of O’Bryant’s Navy ROTC gathered in the Science Auditorium on Thursday, November 17, 2011, for a presentation from senior staffers from the Department of Homeland Security.  Paul Mesterhazy, Deputy Director of the National Cyber Security Division, and Kristina Dorville, Director of Cybersecurity Awareness Programs were invited to the school as part of Cybersecurity week in Boston (Nov 14 – 18).  Paul and Kristina discussed topics relevant to national cybersecurity and informed students that there are many jobs in the field of cybersecurity that require talented students with math, science and programming skills.  Paul and Kristina responded to thoughtful questions posed by O’Bryant students.  Paul and Kristina also met with BPS CIO Melissa Dodd and TechBoston director Felicia Vargas who shared information about the BPS Cyber Safety Campaign.  Our guests were impressed with the Internet safety materials developed by BPS students and took samples of the materials to share with other Department of Homeland Security administrators in Washington, DC.