For Lt Gov Rell—

A ‘Good Show’ Of Technology At Reed

By Larissa Lytwyn

On her first-ever tour of Reed Intermediate School recently, Lieutenant Governor Jodi Rell could not stop smiling.

The tour, aimed at demonstrating how cutting-edge technology is being integrated into education, allowed Lt Gov Rell to tour both the school’s computer labs and individual classrooms.

“Good show!” she said at one point after touring a computer lab.

Guiding the tour was Principal Donna Denniston, Technology Department head Kenneth Royal, Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, and teachers including sixth grade instructor Kelly Marcoux. “We’ve been doing a lot with technology here at Reed,” said Ms Marcoux. “Every teacher has their own website, on which we include homework assignments, curriculum, and academic resources.”

Students also have the opportunity to regularly prepare their own Power Point and overhead presentations, a piece of technology once relegated to teachers.

In Al Finelli’s sixth grade language arts class, students are learning how to identify image sequences. Their current project involves selecting the correct order of steps a team takes to build an igloo.

The students were working on laptops. The laptops are part of a central collection transported to classrooms based on need.

“It was exciting to see [Lt Gov Rell],” said student Sam Norcross. “I was a little nervous, though!”

“She seems really nice!” added another student, Tim Arnone.

Lt Gov Rell also learned about sixth grade teacher Karen King’s ongoing project, “Pencils for Peace.”

Last year Ms King’s class collected 30,000 pencils, among other school supplies, for the recently reconstructed schoolhouse in Shala, Kosovo.

This year’s fundraiser includes purchases of bracelets and pencils. Bracelets cost $5, pencils $2. All proceeds go toward meeting Shala’s medical and educational needs. Each bracelet has the name of a Shala student spelled out in beads. The wearer is encouraged to wear the bracelet at all times, as well write the student a letter of greeting and support.

“Because of the language barrier [Shala residents speak Albanian], it’s important to use pictures that illustrate your interests and hobbies,” said Ms King. “For example, if you like soccer, perhaps you can include pictures of yourself at games or cut out a picture of a soccer ball from a magazine.”

She also invited students to include pictures of family, including pets.

The pencils bear the name “Pencils for Peace” in both Albanian and English.

Using pictures of Shala residents and several of her bracelet-wearing students as an aid, Ms King has been using a Power Point presentation to discuss the fundraising effort throughout the school.

Later this month she is traveling to Shala to help distribute the supplies.

“I will also be videotaping my experiences there,” she told one class, “so that you can all be there with me!”

Although Lt Gov Rell was on a strict predetermined touring schedule, she requested to stay with Ms King for a few additional moments because she wanted to hear the complete presentation.

At the end of the tour, she thanked Ms Denniston, Mr Royal, and the rest of the present staff for their time.

“It was inspiring to see this,” she said. “Technology has really grown in the past few years and it’s wonderful to see it here in our schools!”