Gulf Shores, Orange Beach schools push 'Learning for Life' transformation - al.com (blog)
LOXLEY, Alabama — As county schools take the first steps in the Digital Renaissance, one district is ready to move in leaps and bounds, according to school board President Angie Swiger.
Superintendent Alan Lee made a presentation to board members Tuesday outlining his vision for the future of the system and what "world-class schools" should look like in Baldwin.
Lee said all schools should adopt Common Core Standards, a stringent level of comprehension for all subjects and then go beyond those basic requirements. He said International Baccalaureate should be offered in all areas of the county, and advanced placement courses expanded with additional teacher training.
"All students should have access to IB," Lee said, "and this year we reinstated transportation for the existing IB program, thanks to the board."
Lee said the system needs to improve AP scores that are lower now than five years ago. He said more students take the classes, but don't pass accreditation exams at the end.
"We need higher achievement," he said. He advocated starting career tech centers and learning academies including some education tracks that focus on the arts. He said learning academies would focus on funneling students into areas of interest and into career training that focuses on targeted jobs or college studies. Some areas were design and construction technology, health services, business and management, travel and tourism, automotive and agriculture science. Other potential areas of study would be aviation, environmental science, pre-engineering, aquatic science, international culinary arts and justice and law. Schools would offer from these or other fields of study, but not all would be available at every school, Lee said.
Students in every school could soon start learning foreign languages starting in kindergarten. Learning skills will focus on critical thinking and problem solving, communicative and collaborative learning and creativity and innovation.
Lee said using laptops for learning would force students to learn to seek and analyze data and media as well as create media products. Laptops are not the "fix," he said, but rather the means to fundamental instructional changes.
Some ideas, like "boys only" classrooms for some students, are still under consideration to help reduce dropout rates for males, he said. Another goal is continuing to improve communication among all stakeholders.
'Learning for Life' Project
Following Lee's presentation Tuesday night, Swiger outlined an initiative in her district led by her, principals and Gulf Coast Education Enrichment Foundation members. The project would include four schools in the Gulf Shores High School feeder pattern to raise money from business and private donations and leap ahead into the kinds of changes Lee outlined.
She proposed the "Learning for Life Project" for Pleasure Island schools with securing computers for teachers and training first, then for students shortly after.
"We want to marry the Digital Renaissance with academic enhancement," she said. She said too many students "enter the work force clueless about career choices." The schools will use the same MacBook laptops used in the Baldwin County High pilot program this year.
She said partnerships are already in place to invest in laptops with orders for 2,200 laptops for students and teachers happening by this fall. Career academies could be in place soon after, she said. With 1,900 students, board members agreed District 5 would provide a good testing ground for changes. The project would include offering career academies with area industry and business representatives involved in ongoing education. She said the approach is already working well in Hoover, Birmingham, Escambia County, Fla., as well as St. Johns, Fla. schools. She said business and tourism, arts, education and computer science would be among career tracks offered. And some additional teachers would have to be hired, she said.
School board members balked at adding teachers due to additional costs to the system, and some questioned how feeder patterns in poorer areas would be able to find donors for start-up costs. Some advocated developing a more defined countywide plan before any district moves ahead.
"This concept incorporates all the facets I think the plan should have," Lee said. "If Gulf Shores and Orange Beach communities can provide money to start the seed ... it's a great initiative others can follow."
"If we move in this direction," said board member Robert Callahan, "there's no going back in four years. Schools won't be the same."
"I'd love to see it," said board member Elmer McDonald.
Wireless systems are currently being upgraded across the county, officials said, the first step of the Digital Renaissance.
"Like everything we are trying to do," Lee said in a telephone interview on Wednesday, "changes will be incremental as we have funds. We are getting the infrastructure upgraded."
Lee said about half the county's schools are very near ready for laptops. Learning communities or academies will come next so students stay interested. He said he hoped grants pending approval would help implement laptops countywide by next fall.
Swiger said on Wednesday as wireless capabilities are expanded for the four schools in the GSHS feeder pattern, computers will be added using donated funds. The schools are poised to order laptops for 115 teachers in grades 4-6 and start professional development for instructors on collaborative learning.
An account for the "Learning for Life Project" will be set up at each school on Pleasure Island so individuals can donate money. Swiger said she was hopeful computers would be in place by Christmas this year. Planning for the career academy philosophy would begin now for students in elementary grades through high school. She said formal presentations to the two city councils "will likely be made in the upcoming weeks."
The computer leases should proceed without a hitch, officials said, but changes to curriculum that could require hiring teachers would require board approval.
02 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEwmlYwWttV-FJINVBVglOpgdyhyQ&url=http://blog.al.com/pr-community-news/2011/09/gulf_shoes_orange_beach_school.html
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