Uncategorized
The digital revolution
Published
10 years agoon
YCCF donates $200,000 to supply students with personal computers, tablets
By Emily Wolfe Explore Big Sky Managing Editor
BIG SKY – In three years time, every student in the local school district will have a computer or tablet for use at school and home, thanks to a special $200,000 grant from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.
The local foundation is donating the money to Friends of Big Sky Education over the next three years to help bring all the district’s technology up with top schools nationwide.
“We’ve got a mission to be the best small school in the state of Montana,” said Big Sky School Board Chairman Loren Bough. “To get there we have to have technology for everyone, and there’s no way to pay for that out of the public budget… We know parents will appreciate how great this is.”
The program, called 1:1, will increase student engagement in the classroom, according to Matt Bakken, the middle and high school Technology Education teacher and chairman of the six-teacher technology committee.
“All these kids [may] have iPads and iPhones, smartphones,” Bakken said. “With these devices in the classroom, they can interact and collaborate with their peers, parents and teachers.”
By developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments, Bakken says teachers can address and customize students’ diverse learning styles and abilities.
Digital fluency will also help students be prepared for life after high school.
“We want to expose our students to many operating systems and devices that they’ll [use] after high school,” Bakken said. “They’ll know how to maneuver around Windows, Google and a Mac operating system.”
Parents and students will need to go through training before students receive their devices in the fall.
The school will also promote online citizenship and ethics, teaching students about copyright, intellectual property, appropriate documentation of sources, Bakken said. “They also need to have digital etiquette – [to know] that whatever they post online, it’s there forever.”
Big Sky Supt. Jerry House worked alongside Friends of Big Sky Education to request the grant, and Bough, also vice president of the YCCF board, was integral to the fundraising effort alongside the organization’s executive director Casey Schwartz.
“It’s a really ambitious project,” Schwartz said. “The truth is – and I think Yellowstone Club members responded to this – if we don’t have up-to-date technology, we can’t compete with other schools. We’ve leveled the playing field.”
Teachers have begun professional development for the new program, spending eight hours with an educational technology and integration consultant on May 9 and 10. They learned about apps; integrating technology into the curriculum; using Google spreadsheets for surveys, tests and student feedback; and a trend called “flipping the classroom,” in which students watch a video lesson from their teacher at home, and then do schoolwork in the classroom, receiving more on-one-one attention.
Bakken says continued professional development and support will be key for success. He would like to bring experts on-site for future trainings, and send teachers to national educator conferences and in-state workshops.
“[We don’t want] these devices sitting around in the classroom or in the kids’ backpacks. We want the kids to be engaged with using these technology devices.”
The initiative will be tied in with the school’s wireless cloud, allowing the IT department to update the devices remotely. A school-wide learning management system will assimilate resources in one place where students can log in and see their classes, content, assignment calendars, take tests and quizzes, and see their grades instantly.
“There are a lot of components that we’re trying to fit together into this humongous puzzle so we can implement this program,” Bakken said. “How we’re going to manage the devices, professional development, benchmark-setting for students, how to be accountable for the devices – the list goes on.”
Community meeting set for May 29
There will be a community meeting on May 29 to inform parents and students about the new 1:1 technology initiative. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm