A QUICK PREVIEW Parents inquire about digital learning

HUMBOLDT — Families and faculty of USD 258 packed into Humboldt High School Wednesday night to ask questions and learn more about the district’s new digital curriculum.
K.B. Criss, Humboldt superintendent, appraised all with stories from his first-hand experience with the Pearson 1:1 digital learning program.
“Our goal is to provide the very best education that we can,” Criss said.
Humboldt will be the first school in Kansas to work with Pearson and fully integrate computers in the classroom.
Criss was radiating with excitement as he told story after story of how three other schools in the nation have benefited from the curriculum.
He told about students in a classroom that were working together on a math concept. Each attacked the concept with different numbers, but followed the same steps to arrive at answers.
“They didn’t just grab the worksheet off the smart kid and copy the answer,” Criss said. “They were learning individually and all together.”
The district has purchased a HP laptop for every student and teacher. Criss explained that the district’s information technicians have all the laptops set up and ready to go for the school year. Internet access has been beefed up to deal with the preponderance of activity digital learning with bring.
“If you are any where within a block of the school you could probably even pick it up,” Criss jokingly said about the wireless-access Internet.

MOLLY SPALDING, a specialist with Pearson, showed parents how the program works. She showed a YouTube video entitled “Did you know?” The video gives statistics of how fast the digital age is growing.
Spalding demonstrated how an assignment works, with a video in a specific subject. In the classroom, once the video is completed students must answer questions in a digital journal.
She also showed a section called “Vocabulary Central.” Students will be able to test their knowledge of vocabulary by learning definitions in flash cards, music or trivia games.
Spalding also told parents about the Humboldt digital curriculum website, www.usd258.weebly.com.
“There will be a tab for parents on the site,” Spalding said. “Parents can call the help desk from there.”
The parents tab will give parent’s support when their child has a question or technology issue.

PARENTS were able to ask questions at the end of the  conference.
One often asked concerned parents keeping students off of websites they shouldn’t be on. Criss said that the school had purchased software programs to limit site access.
“We also have a software that shows each student’s screen on the instructors screen,”  Criss said. “So if a student is on a site they shouldn’t be the teacher can text them on their computer to get off the site .”
Families who do not have Internet access at home will still be able to accomplish homework. Students  will be able to download material and work with an off-line option, then when they return to school they will  upload it to where it needs to go. The school’s media lab also will be open until 8:30 p.m. each night for students.
Beth Barlow is a Humboldt parents with a son going into  seventh grade and a daughter in first grade. She thinks this new program will be great for students.
“I think its awesome,” Barlow said. “It will keep them challenged by  staying in touch with each level they’re at.”
Barlow said in the past her son ‘s backpack straps had broke because he had to carry so many books home. That won’t be a concern with just a laptop to carry.
Criss asked parents for “patience, patience, patience” in the first year.
He noted there would be informational nights for parents throughout the year, to give them progress updates and to answer any questions that might pop up.