Old dusty chalkboards are a thing of the past.  Today’s students are used to technology being around them everywhere they go and the classroom is no different.

The “chalkboard” of today has arrived with the development of an interactive digital whiteboard.   In a recent study on tools that are changing the classrooms, Interactive White Boards ranked as one of the most useful tools to enhance learning.  One teacher said, ‘One year after having my interactive white board, I can definitely notice an increase in attention and participation levels for my students.  The interactive whiteboards helps focus their attention on me and my lessons and helps keep them focused.”

So what is an digital interactive whiteboard you may ask?   An interactive whiteboard is basically an interactive display that you connect to a computer, either directly or via flash drive keys.  Boards generally use internal or external projectors to display the computer’s image onto the screen and allow users to control the computer by using a pointing device, pen, or finger.

The board will display any type of program  that is projected onto the screen. Software built into the whiteboard can also capture still shots of whatever information was written on the whiteboard with a dry erase marker (which looks and feels like a traditional whiteboard.  Interactive whiteboards allow users to save data and notes to easily prepare handouts or quickly email files to students.  Some of the higher-end digital whiteboards such as the Panasonic Panaboard even offer built in printers allowing users to print files directly from the board.

Interactive whiteboards are being used in a multitude of settings, however they seem to be most popular with professionals in education for their effectiveness .  They are slowly replacing traditional systems of whiteboards, flip charts, and even portable A/V systems.  No longer do you need to go into that a/v closet and dig up the dvd player and tv, projector etc, simply run your media through the interactive whiteboard and use it as an oversized flat panel display.  Additionally, with built in networking, students can collaborate on the board from individual laptops or desktops in the room.

Another popular reason to install an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is that is that there are many programs written for use on interactive whiteboards  to help teachers make the most of this investment.  Popular programs are designed for Math, Science, Reading, Sports and more generalized lesson plans.  With a few of these programs, educators can quickly and easily start teaching interactive lessons with little knowledge or training on the technology.

To get your full worth from your investment in a interactive whiteboard, you need to know all the functions it is capable of.    It doesn’t make sense to make the investment only to use it as a simple projector.  Spend some time getting to know which board you are interested in and learn what functions it is capable of.  Thre are Numerous websites and social networks on the internet that  exist specifically  for educators to share tools, ideas, and resources.

For more information on how your classroom can benefit from digital interactive whiteboard technology, or to compare various types of boards, visit www.ishopit.com

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photo credit: anselm23

Every vehicle driver has his duty to implement strict precaution to protect the welfare and safety of his passengers. This is especially when he is driving a vehicle with children on board. Not only it is his professional responsibility, but also it is his legal accountability in case someone got hurt on travel.

In particular, school bus drivers carry a big responsibility of assuring a safe ride for students going to and from their school. It is then a must for these drivers to be prudent at all times to avoid accidents that may cause severe injuries or even deaths.

Yet, if bus driver’s negligence to this duty has been found the “proximate cause” of harm and damages sustained by any of his passengers, the injured parties may seek suitable compensation to cover their expenses and other losses suffered. In pursuing a claim, a bus accident lawyer’s advice and representation could be vital in achieving a successful result.

School Bus Safety Information for Students

For the parents of schoolchildren, it is a primordial concern to ensure the safety of their children. Thus, it will be helpful for them to inform their children on issues involving bus safety. Doing this could save their young from the serious effects of a tragic bus accident.

Following are some of the bus accident prevention tips that students should exercise:

1. Stay clear of the bus and wait for it to make a full stop before getting aboard. Since there are many areas around the bus where the drivers have limited or zero visibility, it is extremely dangerous to stay on its track while waiting for it to stop.

2. Be aware of other vehicles when boarding or getting off a bus. Some other drivers may not be responsible enough to stop while children are boarding or getting off the bus. It is also possible that these other motorists will not notice children crossing the street.

3. Follow the driver’s instructions and stay disciplined while riding the bus. Many accidents occur due to driver distractions. If the children on board the bus are unruly and noisy, chances are the driver’s attention may be disturbed.

4. Sit in an orderly manner facing the front. Numerous school buses are not equipped with seatbelts to protect its passengers. Hence, it would be dangerous for these children to roam around the bus while it is moving. However, staying properly seated in the bus will lessen the effects of an accidental impact because of the reinforced seat backs that compartmentalize its passengers.

5. Never get under the bus for any reason. Even if you have something to retrieve, it will be safer to let the driver do it for you or just wait for the bus to go before you get it.

Legal Issues in a Bus Accident

As the law indicates, any person who may have been harmed due somebody else’s carelessness or imprudent action may invoke his right to recover damages. However, in filing a claim against the party liable, it is much wiser to ask assistance from bus accident lawyers who are more knowledgeable about the procedures in pursuing a claim.

A victim who does not understand the legal issues involved in a bus accident may have trouble in seeking justice. Bus accident lawyers have the proper skills in engaging with the procedures set by the law in damages recovery.

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photo credit: Jane Vlasova

I am sure you are aware of the nationwide trend of downsizing, even eliminating, art programs in schools.

What is not entirely known is the impact of removing the fine arts from the education of children.

‘Champions of Change, the Impact of the Arts on Learning’ is the most comprehensive study on the subject of students’ involvement in the fine arts and how it relates to academic success.

The study builds a strong case for students achieving higher levels of academic success and in higher overall numbers when involved with fine art.

Per the study:

- 82.6% of 8th graders earned mostly A’s and B’s who were involved heavily in fine arts versus 67.2% earning A’s and B’s who were not.

- 30.07% of the respondents who participate in fine arts performs community service where only 6.28% of the respondents who do not participate in fine arts perform community service.

- Students who are not heavily involved in fine arts have more than double the chance of dropping out of school by the 10th grade.

- 56.64% of the respondents who participate in fine arts read for pleasure as compared to only 34% when not participating in fine arts.

These are only some of the findings in this study.

Fine arts help teach students far more than how to draw roses in a vase or how to play the violin.

They help stimulate the creative part of the child’s mind, teach discipline, instill a sense of pride, accomplishment, and self-worth.

These attributes not only help students do better academically, but do better in their adult life, with their career, their new family, their emotional well being.

So what do you do if your child’s school has had major cuts in their art program?

Your first option is, of course, private lessons. You need to be cognizant of the pros and cons in this option.

Lets look at the pros first.

First, due to budget cuts and pressure for schools to ensure their students score well on standardized testing (oddly enough the students who are involved in the arts score better on average) the arts get less attention that other subjects in school. Thus the quality of instruction suffers.

Meaning your child has an excellent chance of getting better fine art instruction in a professional fine art instruction environment. The classes are smaller, sometimes even one on one. The instructor only has to teach that particular art form.

Another plus in private fine art education is that your child’s success is directly tied into the instructors income.

A public school teacher who has half of their art class receive failing grades will still be paid the same at the end of the week.

The equivalent in the private art instruction world would mean a bankrupt business in a very short order.

Providing private art classes is a business. They must produce a good product or risk not being around in the future.

The major con to private lessons is of course if you cannot afford them for your child.

Private lessons cost money. Knowing the benefits of a child being educated in the fine arts, I would happily drive a less luxurious car, or eat out less often to ensure their fine art education.

However if you are living on a fixed income this may not be an option.

To wrap up this point, private lessons are great, often better than what is provided even in schools that have ample art and music budgets.

An alternative solution may be needed if you you are on a limited budget.

There are things that you can do to help your local school raise money for their art programs.

First and foremost is fund raising. This can be gone about in a variety of ways.

For example in my high school in Burbank, California a parent spoke to executives at NBC studios. Weeks later, NBC donated high-end production and editing equipment for our high school. Everything for the fine art of film making was at our school.

Long shot or no, local businesses or celebrities should not be ignored when trying to solve this problem. In return they get good PR.

Of course you have the traditional events to raise funds. A car wash, garage sales, silent auctions, etc.

The real make or break point for the above types of fund raisers is having the right person in-charge to ensure that all the details are taken care of and everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing.

If no one shows up to the car wash because no one knew about it, it won’t do anyone much good. Nor will the dozen cookies at the bake sale.

Organize and communicate.

I know a good amount of people. More pertinently I know people who know more people than I could ever hope to know.

When confronted with the difficult task of refitting your schools classical music program with instruments, it can seem overwhelming.

On the other hand, with a group of hundreds of students and adults it looks like this.

An email/phone call/mailer goes to your network about the problem.

Get your network to scourer their homes and the homes of people they know for instruments to donate. Last year I gifted a nice classical guitar that had been idle for years to a school.

Perhaps you find a few instruments in great condition that have been sitting in closets and garages untouched for 20 years.

Then invite everyone with a pulse and do a bowling fund raiser. Mark up the admission by a few dollars and you’ll have instant cash for new instruments.

The following week target local businesses and parents in your network to gift items of worth for an auction. You get kids to pass out fliers and put up posters around town, put up announcements on craigslist, your local paper, and of course make sure everyone in your network knows and that they are telling everyone else.

When you have enough money for the instruments have the kids study hard and put on a fund raiser concert, charge and put the money aside. Somehow someone will manage to lose a tuba.

It is plain to see, a dedicated group can accomplish much more than an individual.

What happens if your school is so strapped for cash and so over crowded that they cannot afford the fine art teacher let alone the space for art classes?

And what if there are no reputable private fine art instruction schools local, or you cannot afford them at this time?

At this point you have to take matters entirely in your own hands. However you are not entirely alone!

There are products on the market, that for a low cost, can still help educate your child in the fine arts.

Here is an example, for a onetime payment of you can have you child take online violin lessons with Violin Master Pros.

There are also online lessons and DVD instruction programs for other musical instruments, writing, drawing, and more.

Anything will be far more productive than another evening of video games or cable TV.

Beware of asking uncle John – who plays the piano – to teach your child. If someone demonstrates knowing how to do something well, it by no means demonstrates they can teach it well!

Bad lessons can very quickly turn your child off to the arts. Even if a huge donation is made to the school and the arts are saved, it will do little good if your kid is sour on the arts.

All in all our society’s viewpoint must be changed in regards to how important the arts are to our children and our future.

It is irrefutable, children perform better on standardized tests when involved in fine art. Yet many schools will cut art and music to focus on getting better scoring results!

A small fraction of this nations defense budget could easily pay for art and music programs nationwide.

Many parents have the viewpoint, ‘if it is not reading or arithmetic then what real use is it my child’?

Yet in the top science schools in America all have a extensive fine art programs in their universities for a reason. It helps students perform academically!

It is our job as parents, budget cuts or no budget cuts, to ensure that our children receive the fine art education that they need.

If we don’t do it for our children, who is going to?

Eric Hines has been involved in the field of art for eleven years as an artist, gallery owner, and as an executive to the largest drawing and painting instruction program in the world Mission: Renaissance

photo credit: kardboard604

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Local Briefs: 5-29
No newspaper on Memorial Day The Sentinel-Tribune will not be published on Monday so its employees may be able to enjoy the Memorial Day holiday with their families. Today’s issue includes two pages of comics, on pages 22 and 23, so Sentinel readers will not miss the comics that were scheduled to appear on Monday.
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Community Events
The MSA Museum Society presents its Ye Olde Dickens Christmas Tea and Caroling on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Trethewey Heritage House done up in holiday style.
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