High technology means the world to TCS students

Too often, the public assumes technology in schools means practicing skills with computer games or researching on the Internet. However, in Tiffin City Schools, technology is so much more than software and the World Wide Web. Technology brings the world into our classrooms and takes our students around the world.

Technology enables Tiffin students from elementary through high school to experience distance learning via two-way communication using live audio and video. Distance learning is a popular way for students to interact with students from other towns and even other countries. Tiffin City Schools have participated in distance learning projects with schools as close as Fostoria and Port Clinton, and as far away as Alaska and Costa Rica. Instead of reading about a country in a geography book, our students virtualy have visited the country and made friends with the natives.

Some of the Tiffin City Schools’ recent distance learning experiences include a project called “Chapters.” In the Chapters project, third-grade classes from different school systems participate in a book-writing project. Class A writes chapter 1 of the book. Class B writes chapter 2, and Class C writes chapter 3 in round-robin fashion. Then, all the participating classes write their own endings to the book.

When all the chapters have been written, the classes come together and present their chapters via videoconferencing to the other participating schools. Sometimes the classes act out their chapter in a skit. Sometimes the classes use puppet shows, or sometimes they draw the scenes on poster board. It is interesting to see how each class adds its own twist to the unfolding story.

“Guess What Town?” allows third-grade students to learn history and geography with technology. Students provide facts about their towns while students in other towns use these clues to “Guess What Town.” The clues are given in many different formats including PowerPoint presentations, photographs and hand-drawn pictures.

During the last meeting of the project, students put together the clues and guess where the other classes are located. Tiffin students have interacted with students from Sandusky, Avon, Collins, and Lisbon, Ohio.

The Great Race Distance Learning Project was started two years ago and is a contest in which fifth-grade students race from the Ohio State football stadium to North Slope Borough, Ala. Each class is a team, and the team that can get to Alaska the quickest, spending the least amount of money, is the winner.

The rules are simple: Teams cannot fly until they get to Alaska, and they have to use three different forms of transportation in the process. Students have to use real-world applications to plan their route. They have to be aware of how many miles can be driven in a day, locations and prices of hotels along the route, time zones, meals, ferry prices, etc. Students plan the whole trip the same way someone would plan a vacation.

As a bonus this year, the project coordinators Kathy Mohr and Katrina Moore — with a grant from Polycom (makers of the distance learning equipment) — actually made the winning journey. Mohr and Moore spent 14 days following the winning trip from Ohio State stadium to Alaska traveling by car, Amtrak, ferry and airplane. The trip can be viewed by visiting the following Web site: pd.ncoesc.org/greatrace/video/videolinks.htm.

Columbian High School also uses distance learning programs to expand learning opportunities. Two of the more exciting programs are offered through COSI Columbus.

In the “Total Knee Replacement,” students get to watch a live knee replacement surgery. The surgeons explain the procedure as it is performed and answer any questions from the students and teachers as if they were in the same room. With the “In Depth: Autopsy Series,” students are guided by a forensic pathologist through a videotaped autopsy from the y-incision to the removal of the brain. Students are provided a booklet prior to the autopsy that explains some of the surgical procedures and also gives them background information and toxicology reports, which will be used to determine the cause of death.

Technology brings such exciting opportunities to our students. They are collaborating with students from across the United States and around the world and they are looking over the shoulder of a surgeon. Technology in Tiffin City Schools means engaging, expanding and enhancing our students’ education.

Without passage of the 0.8-mill permanent improvement levy Nov. 6, the opportunity for our students to continue these life-enriching programs will be significantly reduced. Please keep this in mind as you vote “Yes for TCS!”



For more information on distance learning, please visit the following Web sites:

www.ncoesc.esu.k12.oh.us/distancelearning/index.htm

www.cosi.org/educators/videoconferencing/

www.polycom.com



Jon Hampshire is technology coordinator for Tiffin City Schools.