Chatham Schools Tap Internet To Spread News, Course Listings
Thursday, January 18, 2001
by Tim Wood
CHATHAM - Using the latest in computer and Internet technology, the
town's school system is finding new ways to communicate with parents,
students, and the community at large.
Using software developed by a Lowell company, the school department
recently launched a Web-based service where administrators, teachers
and even parents can post school-related news items. The high school
also has a new on-line newsletter, "E-Beacon," edited by principal
Paul Mangelinkx, and is currently testing new software developed by
the same company that will not only result in the school's entire
catalog of classes being put on line, but may eventually allow students
to register for classes and parents to check grades over the Internet.
"It's part of our strategic plan, and also one of my own personal
goals, to take advantage of technology and communicate more with people
in the community," said Mangelinkx.
Mangelinkx actually won one of the software packages now being used
last summer in a business card raffle when he went to a presentation
by SmartEDU, a Lowell company started by education professionals to
produce software for K-12 school districts. The program, called School
News, is a Web page administered by SmartEDU, and like the other programs,
is accessible through the school district's Web page.
School News allows anyone to post short items. "They're like little
bursts of information," Mangelinkx said last Thursday. "Even parents
can post something. I just posted three items before lunch."
There are separate pages for the elementary, middle and high schools,
as well as the district. To prevent students and others from posting
bogus or offensive material, each item is reviewed by the building
principal, while Superintendent Vida Gavin reviews the district page.
"This is instant communication, not only with parents, but with people
in the community," Mangelinkx said.
Because of the positive experience with School News, Mangelinkx purchased
another program from SmartEDU which creates an on-line newsletter
for the high school. It is different from the School News items in
that there are longer, more detailed articles. The first issue, which
is currently on-line, includes stories on the new Saturday school
program, the MCAS tests, and the school's community service program.
A second issue should be posted soon, said Mangelinkx, who also edits
the newsletter. Parents and community members can also contribute
to E-Beacon, he added.
Even more promising, however, especially for parents, is Program of
Studies, software under development by SmartEDU which allows schools
to post their program of studies on the Internet. Eventually, the
program will also allow students to sign up for courses on line. Chatham
is the only school system where the software is being beta tested,
according to Tom Giossi, director of business development for SmartEDU.
"Chatham really works nicely for us," he said. "We do business in
some very large school districts, like Lowell, where there are 1,900
staff people, whereas Chatham has 200," making training simpler. Chatham
was chosen partly because of its size, but also because of the district's
commitment to technology. "Chatham should really be commended because
they're really pushing hard in technology. It's really the wave of
the future."
The on-line program of studies will be just like the printed version,
but will allow instant changes and modifications to course descriptions,
schedules and other aspects to respond to changes in the curriculum.
For instance, if a teacher wants to add a course segment related to
a current event, the description can be modified on-line. "Everything
is dynamic, meaning they can modify it at any time, and people can
search by course or level," Giossi said.
Mangelinkx hopes the availability of the program of studies on line
will lead to more collaboration, allowing parents to more easily participate
in their child's choice of courses. Eventually, the software may help
administrators schedule courses, something previously done by hand,
as well as integrate schedules with student records. Giossi acknowledged
there are security issues, but said the system uses the same protocols
as on-line banks and thus far there have not been any problems. It
may not be advisable to put certain data on the Internet, such as
student transcripts, he added.
He sees the programs as helping busy parents become involved in their
children's education. "You want to be involved in your kid's schooling
and you may not be able to attend a PTO meeting, but maybe communicating
electronically becomes an option." SmartEDU was founded by education
professionals with the idea of developing software specifically for
K-12 schools. Usually software filters down to local schools after
being developed for other applications or for higher education institutions.
"We're actually focusing on K-12 systems, giving places like Chatham
the ability to be on the cutting edge," Giossi said. Because the software
is developed by people familiar with educators' needs, it is very
streamlined and doesn't contain a lot of superfluous extras, he added.
"Everything has a function and is tied into [department of education]
requirements or the way a school does business day-to-day."
Mangelinkx called the level of technology in the Chatham schools "superior."
There are as many as four or five computers in each classroom, as
well as computer labs, most connected by a sophisticated network.
Two part-time people maintain the system and there is a teacher in
each school who serves as computer coordinator.
"Our task is the integration of technology into the curriculum," he
said. "Our teachers are doing that now. We're running courses on everything
from Web design to Powerpoint. It's something we feel is important."
An in-service day Dec. 8 was dedicated solely to technology. Eventually,
Mangelinkx said he would like to see each department in the high school
with its own Web pages, with teachers posting daily assignments. "A
lot of schools are already doing that, but we're just getting there."
Not all parents have a computer or access to the Internet, Mangelinkx
conceded. "But if they can get to our site, information is just a
couple of mouse clicks away."
Giossi said the company hopes to conclude beta testing of the Program
of Studies software by the end of February. Mangelinkx hopes to have
next year's program of studies on line by the spring.
1/18/01
Contents copyright 2000, The Cape Cod Chronicle. |
