Students - it's MacBook check-in time :(

Make sure that you have your yellow laptop check-in sheet completely filled out before you come down. We want you to list any repairs that have been done to your machine this year as well as anything that you know is not working right so that we can fix it over the summer. Bring your MacBook to us POWERED DOWN, your laptop case ZIPPED SHUT with the shoulder strap IN THE FRONT POUCH, and your yellow sheet FILLED OUT. Thank you for your help in making this process go smoothly! It's been a great year of 24/7 Learning!

The Golden Talon Awards

(Like the Golden Globes, but better!)

O'Neill Schools Flickr Group

Join the Flickr Group and share your O'Neill school-related photos!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/oneillschools/

Also, plan to attend a meeting next Wednesday at 11:45 in Mrs. Gotschall's room if you are interested in photography and a possible club for next year for photo enthusiasts!

1st Annual Golden Talon Awards Ceremony!

Submit your digital media projects that you have created this year to the GOLDEN TALON AWARDS Drop box in the Content folder of the O'Neill Schools Public Group on Angel! You can submit as many as you would like and in whatever format you choose to share. Some examples would be movies, photos, music, slideshows, graphics, .... ANYTHING that you created digitally this year-- either for a class project or just on your own for fun.

The Digital Media class will be selecting which entries get showcased at the Golden Talon awards (to be held in the gym on Wednesday, May 20th at 11:45 p.m.). Any project that is "on the program" will be entered into a drawing for an iTunes gift card to be awarded at the conclusion of the ceremony.

We want to see all the cool creations that you have done this year with your Mac! We also want to have a fun event that hopefully will become an annual one to share your talents. So enter your projects to this drop box BEFORE 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18th. (By Friday may be the easiest!)

See Kelsey Mundhenke, Bergen Hesse, Jenna Fernau, Rainey Hull, Mrs. Morrow, or Mr. Peterson with any questions. THANK YOU!

2009 Digies Awards

Apple Computers sponsored the annual student digital media contest and honored winners in a ceremony at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln last Saturday, April 25, 2009. Over 500 entries from students grades K-12 from all across the state of Nebraska were narrowed down to a field of finalists invited to attend the ceremony. O'Neill Public School was once again well represented by its students as 21 separate entries created by 27 different O'Neill students were recognized at the event. Each category recognized the finalists, awarding them medals, followed by the announcement of the overall category winner and a "Digies" trophy. O'Neill Public Schools brought home three trophies this year:

• The Digital Divas (Emily Morrow, Julia Bauer, Claire Morrow, Amanda Brown, and Allison Ludwig) - "The Digital Divas Go Green" - Best K-6 Highlights Video
• Kelsey Mundhenke and Liz Watson - OHS Girls Basketball - Best 7-12 Highlights Video
• Emily Morrow - "Emily in the Outdoors" - Best K-6 "Open" project

At the conclusion of the event, special recognition was given to the "Digital Divas" as being a great example of "Challenge Based Learning." Apple announced changes in the Digies competition for future years and featured the girls' project as an example of what students should start considering as the focus of their digital media projects. More can be learned about Challenge Based Learning at http://challengebasedlearning.org

All additional finalists from O'Neill Public Schools as well as most of the students' projects can be viewed at: http://web.me.com/mrsmorrow/09Digies/Projects.html

NETA 2009

O'Neill Public Schools was well-represented at the 2009 Nebraska Educational Technology Conference held on April 23-24, 2009 in Omaha, NE. "Exploring New Territories" was the conference theme, inspired by a new venue for this annual event- La Vista/Embassy Suites. Over 2,300 educators from across the state of Nebraska heard keynote speakers Hall Davidson from Discovery Education and Stephanie Hamilton from Apple talk about today's students how to engage them in the learning process to better prepare them for tomorrow. Several O'Neill Public School teachers and students contributed to the conference's vast body of knowledge by presenting sessions. Lara Morrow and Melissa Polinoski presented poster sessions- "The Mixed Up Files of Art and Technology" and "Nebraska's Counties" (assisted by 4th grade students Allison Becker, Jake Young, and Emily Morrow.) Katie Morrow led participants in two workshops (iWork and iCollaborate) as well as two break-out sessions (ACOT2 and "Rising to the Challenge"). Deb Barelmann co-presented in the second of the two break-outs and helped share the successes of O'Neill part in Apple's pilot project on Challenge Based Learning. Mike Peterson and Gary Hostert, along with 7th graders Jonathan Hunt and Nathan Gotschall, led a session highlighting the innovative "Eagle Eye Sports" program at OHS. Positive comments from across the state and beyond were shared on conference evaluations about O'Neill Public Schools' involvement in NETA 2009 and the educational technology knowledge that they shared.

article to appear in NCSA Today publication

O’Neill Public Schools’ Journey into 24/7 Learning

At O’Neill Public Schools, technology is more than the next new gadget. Instead, it is about equitable access and leveling the playing field. It is about enhanced communication, collaboration, and other 21st century skills. It is about amplifying learning opportunities and engaging learners in self-directed work. And, it is opening opportunities to all students beyond what they traditionally see possible in school and beyond. Nearly every classroom, K-12, is equipped with a digital projector, SMART Board interactive whiteboard, and digital tools specific to the discipline (digital cameras, video cameras, graphing calculators, handhelds, probes, etc.) Accompanying the hardware is a vast array of software choices from which every student can explore their talents and preferred learning styles. Most importantly, each 7th-12th grade student has round-the-clock access to a MacBook laptop through O’Neill’s 24-7 Learning initiative, while the elementary frequently utilizes laptop carts to enhance student learning.

O’Neill’s technology integration success didn’t happen overnight. In this K-12 rural district of approximately 800 students, student engagement and student success has always been the focus. A strong administrative team with powerful future visioning supports the day-to-day learning efforts in the classroom. That vision created positions for a technology integration specialist at each building, as well as an IT person to keep the technology up and running. This has made a tremendous difference in infusing technology throughout the curriculum.

Another reason for technology success across the district can be attributed to the classroom leaders. Teachers are encouraged to participate in professional development in numerous areas; they have shown leadership in many organizations such as NATM, NATS, NETA, NAG, and NEA. Many staff members have invested resources in college courses to enhance their ability to effectively use technology in the classroom. Their growth is evident in the work they assign in the classroom. O’Neill’s teaching staff is on the cutting edge of 21st century teaching and learning.

Grant-writing efforts (both small and large) have been a driving force in acquiring equipment and programming funds for many educational efforts. Once funding is secured, the students “sell” the continuance of it with the projects they create while utilizing the technology in the learning process.

Thus, the most significant piece of the “success formula” is the students themselves. Students from O’Neill Public Schools have presented locally, regionally, and nationally with their exemplary work, much of which has been enhanced by the technology resources available to them. In an effort to showcase student successes, Superintendent Amy Shane arranges for a group of students to present a “Success Story” at every School Board meeting. More often than not, students are highlighting the power of technology in their projects, whether through an FCCLA keynote presentation, National History Day research project, original music production and performances, movie productions aired on television, published writing projects technology has enhanced their learning. That’s why when a 1:1 laptop initiative was first proposed for the district, it only made sense to board members. Expanding students’ use of technology to 24/7 with equal access for all, in a more organized, learning-focused school-wide effort was the next step for district success. High School Teachers received MacBook laptops during the summer of 2007 and training that fall. Juniors and seniors received their laptops and piloted the 24/7 Learning Initiative second semester of the 2007-08 school year, and all 400 7-12 graders received Macbooks in August of 2008.

Gains are already being seen by teachers, students, and the greater community. Home-school connections have increased as families benefit from the increased access to information and communication that the laptop provides. Students are more engaged in the learning process. Often learning projects have a real-life purpose that extends beyond the classroom walls, making their learning more meaningful, relevant, and applicable. Students’ work is more creative, more collaborative, more differentiated, and more self-directed than ever before. These 21st century skills, along with increased collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, are essential for our students’ futures. Providing students the opportunity to practice, investigate, and create with a vast array of digital tools throughout their K-12 education is going to put them ahead in their future educational and professional pursuits.

Eagle Eye Sports (Sports broadcasting live with video and student commentary) is one example of extending learning into the community. Many school activities are “UStreamed” and shared with viewers worldwide via the web. This year’s school improvement external team report was streamed live so that all teachers and community members would have the opportunity to listen to it. Students have also connected with the community by designing websites for local businesses as well as creating commercials and public service announcements to air on radio and television. O’Neill’s students have won numerous Robotics and Digital Media awards, continuing to set the bar higher each year.

Future continuance of technology at O’Neill Public Schools includes plans for a school-run local cable access channel, managed by the Digital Media classes, where projects can continuously be shared on a greater stage with the rest of the community, as well as video-on-demand access online. Incorporating more interdisciplinary learning experiences and curriculum models such as “Challenge Based Learning” are also in the district’s future goals.

For more information and examples of technology integration at O’Neill Public Schools, visit the high school website at http://oneillhighschool.org or the 24-7 Learning site at: http://www.esu8.org/~oneill/24-7