By Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ.
Possibly one of
the most important reasons I delved into the world of social networking was to
share with a global audience the great things that my students and staff are
doing. As a principal nothing is
more gratifying than advertising these accomplishments and receiving feedback
from passionate educators who are truly working hard to make a positive impact
on a child’s life. After all, I
strongly feel this is an essential requirement of my position and all others in
the field of education.
Upon becoming Principal of New Milford High
School over three years ago it was decided after a needs assessment
that more resources and professional development had to go into the area of
educational technology. I was fortunate enough to participate in two
television shows that resulted in funds that normally don’t just fall into the
hands of a high school administrator. After researching and learning
about how iPods and MacBooks were being utilized to engage learners I quickly
decided to purchase a mobile iPod learning lab (Bretford
PowerSync cart, 28 nanos each with a recording device, Bose speaker
system) and some MacBooks. This was a relatively bold move at the time
because the use of iPods in a classroom setting was non-existent in my school
and PCs were the technology of choice. The next challenge was motivating my
staff to use the iPods in particular. Naturally my teachers were
apprehensive. After having Apple come in and train my teachers on
podcasting they were ready to begin integrating this technology into their
instruction.
The following are two specific examples
of activities NMHS staff using the iPods:
1.
Economics (Linda Keesing-Media Specialist): As a reporter for the
business section of The Record (local newspaper), you will create an audio
podcast to accompany your newspaper article on the various facets of this
economic crisis. It is your job to learn more about the factors contributing
to this crisis. Your insights into potential remedies for it will be
especially valuable. You will explain why fiduciary responsibility in the
private sector and federal oversight in the public sector are among the
essential ingredients in maintaining a sound U.S. economy. You will
examine the question of the global nature of this crisis. Your editors
expect you to research these issues thoroughly so that you can explain them to
your audience.
2.
American History 2 (Nicolette Perna): Students in American History II
have just begun to study the 1920s. As an introductory activity, students are
working to create podcast interviews dealing with the culture of the
1920s. Students worked in pairs to conduct some research on the culture
of the 1920s and then worked together to write an interview; one person as the
interviewer, the other as someone that lived during the 1920s. Students
have the option to focus on one aspect of 1920s culture or do an overview of
multiple aspects. They will record their podcasts with their partners and
then as a class will listen to and discuss them.
The MacBooks were a huge hit, even with
me. After purchasing some of these laptops I began to use one on a
regular basis. I can now say that I been converted from a PC to a Mac
user and couldn’t be happier. The one feature that I like best when
creating presentations is the grab utility that allows me to capture portions
of content on web pages in a flash. As far as my teachers go, below are 2
examples of how they have used the MacBooks:
1.
Biology (Keith Devereaux): Students were assigned an authentic learning
project where they had to create vodcasts. A description of the entire
project can be viewed here: http://www.educatorsroyaltreatment.com/2009/08/authentic-learning-and-technology.html
2.
Applied Music Theory (Joe Andolino): Students created their own original
music using Garage Band and integrated a web 2.0 application. A
description of this project can be viewed at http://www.educatorsroyaltreatment.com/2009/10/macs-web-20-music-to-my-ears.html
I am extremely proud of my staff developing innovative projects using Apple products to engage the learners of New Milford. By sharing these success stories I hope to motivate and excite more NMHS staff members into using them on a regular basis.


