and now a few words from our teachers...

New computers in the Mac lab at F. A. Day will undoubtedly insure that our students receive the technological advantage they'll need to prepare them for the future. With the projected enrollment at F.A. Day to increase dramatically in the next few years, it is essential that reliable, updated technology is available to all students before, during and after school hours. New Computers in the labs and library can help make that happen! Newton Public Schools is preparing to refresh all teacher laptops at the middle school level beginning with grade 6 this spring. Having a new Mac lab with the same operating system as the teachers is going to be such a great experience for our students and teachers here at F.A Day. For years, we have been adding memory, upgrading operating systems and maintaining now 8 year old eMacs in order to try to keep up with student demands that current technology imposes. Without new equipment, we will not be able to meet the needs of our students using Google Docs and other browser-based applications. Every student has a Google docs account and more and more teachers are using them. “Students will essentially be slowly traveling along the current information highway in 2003 vehicles that can no longer support the latest software and browsers that have become an integral component to out learning environment”- Brenda Doucette - Technology Specialist

Times are changing and so is technology - I have tried to keep up with the times and the Day PTO has always been there for me and for my students to keep up with technology. The Day PTO has supported me throughout my teaching career - as a new teacher - they provided me with a grant to make slides to use in a slide projector to use in my class. After ten years - they bought me an LCD projector and now I am going back to the well again - this time for the updated computer lab. The only thing I can say is thank you and that the PTO and technology does make a difference. - Tim Matthews, Grade 8 History

I use Powerpoint and video clips for many lessons. Technology has become essential to my teaching style. - Jack O’Connor - Grade 7 History

This year I have used Lingt to require my students to do online speaking, listening, and writing practices and assessments. During this and past incidents, the computers were too slow to allow my students to complete their work at the same time. They had to take turns to complete the assessment, because otherwise the computers would freeze up and have to be restarted. Because of this, every time I have gone to the computer labs, some students have been unable to complete their assessments and subsequently had to finish them at home. This upsets some students a lot. This issue is most prevalent in my Sixth Grade class, in which there are 23 students. This issue will be very problematic next year, as I have been told that even more students have enrolled for next year's Chinese class. As time goes on, I think that this will be a very problematic area for the School. I hope the school considers this issue carefully, and takes this situation seriously. - Ping Li, World Language Teacher Chinese (Mrs. Li is our Chinese teacher here at F. A. Day. She brings her classes to the Mac lab to use an online program called LINGT. Currently, the older eMac computers will not allow her students to complete their lessons at the same time (they are too slow so students must take turns and restart often). With new and improved computers in the labs, Mrs. Li (and other World Language classes) will be able to have a whole class accessing the LINGT website and completing their lessons together!!!) - Brenda Doucette)

I teach a GIS lesson where students use data to make a claim about where the next big earthquake will occur. Students followed up the GIS lesson with in-class presentations using Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework. A few students selected the northern region of Japan as was the case last year with Haiti. -Mark Murphy 8th Grade Science (GIS is a Geographical Information System comprised of cartography, statistical analysis and database technology. Students have access data related to world population, resources, earthquakes, etc. – Brenda Doucette – Technology Specialist)

The Elmo is a document camera that allows teachers to project any object through an LCD projector. Elmo's are very popular in math classes, because they allow for teachers to use student work and mathematical ideas to drive a lesson. For example, instead of simply telling students how to go about solving a problem, a teacher may ask students to solve a particular open ended problem. Students may work individually or in small groups on the problem. The teacher circulates around the room helping students while looking for different solution methods. When the teacher is ready to teach the concept, they can use the Elmo to project student work in their lesson. This allows students opportunities to communicate their mathematical ideas and reasoning to the rest of the class. Teachers can actually meet their instructional objectives using the work and the communication of students. This is just one example of the many uses of an Elmo. Brian Marks - Math Coach

In the last five years, music technology has become the standard for teaching general music classes. The computer lab (in our case, the aging eMac lab) allows us to simultaneously teach music composition to both neophyte and advanced music students. I find this quite exciting because no other type of curriculum allows us to reach, challenge and engage all students to this degree. Currently, the specific software we use is Apple’s GarageBand, which has proven to be the software of choice (along with Apple’s Logic) for both beginners and professional musicians. However, even using an old version of GarageBand taxes the resources of our current computers. It would be ideal to be able to use GarageBand 2011 with our classes. Bea Maier and I have attended music technology workshops and, having experienced the new 2011 version, would love to incorporate the updated features into our teaching. We have been asked by the school to incorporate 21st century skills into our curriculum and, from my point of view, Apple software along with adequate hardware (in view of software system requirements) is the way to go. - Gary Fox, Music Dept.

I did a lesson with Brian Marks yesterday and used an Elmo. Is there a chance we will be getting any more or if there is another one around that is not being used? It was a great way to show students' work. -Sarah Nitsche, Grade 7 Math

Middle school students are motivated by images and ideas that they have selected, rather than those imposed on them. In the 8th grade art rotation, the use of computers as a source of unique and individually selected images is indispensible. Every term, students gather in the computer lab to choose and download pictures which serve as a source for a lesson on abstraction. Later in each term, the classes use library computers to research artists, their lives and their work. This allows students to explore web sites devoted to specific artists, to see a wide range of pictures, and to share information with one another. - Bohn Whitaker – Art Teacher

Using Google Docs for writing assignments allows me to give students feedback on their writing more efficiently and effectively. There's never enough time to conference with students about their writing during class, but with Google Docs I can "extend" those writing conferences into the cyber realm. I feel more effective as a teacher and I think students feel better supported as learners when that direct feedback occurs during the writing process. Victoria O'Connor – Grade 8 Language Arts

Students in my classes use Google Docs for Education for their writing projects. I am able to read and comment on student work online. The students are able to access this work from home, school or any other location with internet access. This really simplifies things in terms of multiple platforms and compatible word processing versions. In addition, the students appreciate the ease and speed with which they can converse with their teacher through comments in the margins of the document and personalized comments from their teacher. In addition, Google Docs for Education saves paper and allows students and teachers to see the full revision history of a document with the click of a button! Every student and every teacher at Day Middle School now has a Google Docs for Education account. – Jenn Sanders – Grade 6 Language Arts

All Day Middle School Eighth graders recently used Google Docs for Education for theirPresidential Brochure projects. This project originated at Bigelow Middle School by History/SS Teacher Patty Summa. Teachers were able to read and comment on student work online. The students were able to access this work from home, school or any other location with internet access. This really simplifies things in terms of multiple platforms and compatible word processing versions. In addition, the students enjoyed the immediate feedback and personalized comments from their teachers! Every student and every teacher at Day Middle School now has a Google Docs for Education account. – Nancy Cohen – History Teacher

The PTO very generously gave my classroom an iMac, LCD, Elmo, a scanner and a printer a couple of years ago. It has been invaluable. I use them to prepare lessons. The students use them constantly to look up reference material. In art elective they use them for projects like movies, to manipulate images, for powerpoints and to compose music for their visual projects. In the rotation classes they also use them to complete several assignments. My only problem is I have more students needing to use the iMac than we have time in class. Students sign up and sometimes have to wait more than one class for their turn. - Sherry Edwards, Art Teacher

All eighth graders at Day, when in Mrs. McGettrick's Drama Rotation class, create short "silent" films which often relate to issues students encounter daily in Middle School. The "Short Story Cinema" project unites acting, storytelling, basic video editing, and camerawork. The project begins in the Drama classroom with improvisational storytelling. Once the group settles on a plot, the students break the story down into dozens of shots, or beats. Mrs. McGettrick integrates technology through the use of digital cameras to capture the various angles and points of view for each scene. Students import the photos into iPhoto and iMovie to further the use of technology in storytelling through the use of timing, titles, transitions and other effects to create a film that will be shared with their class - or the entire school through WORD or at Winterfest! Some of the recent titles include "Lunch Money Theft" (a mystery), "OMG Shoes", "The Texting Gang" and "Super Scott". Currently, Mrs. McGettrick uses the eMac lab (circa 2002-2003) for this project but fears that the aging computers may not be a viable option for this project in the future. – Jessica McGettrick , Drama Teacher