ITS Newsletter March 2012

Richland School District One

Instructional Technology Services Richland County School District One

Volume 4, Issue 3 Spring 2012

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

From the Director ......... 2

Richland One at Annual

Library Conference ..... 2

SC Book Festival ........... 2

Media Assistants............ 2

News and Notes ............. 3

Calendar of Events ........ 4

Ron Rash, this year's One Book, One

Columbia featured author for Saints at

the River visited Instructional Technolo-

gy Services on February 2. He spent

time discussing his writing career, auto-

graphing books and posing for pictures.

Video excerpts of his visit are posted on

the depart-

ment's web-

site. Mr. Rash

will be back in

Columbia for

the South Car-

olina Book

Festival May

18-20.

Jerry Pallotta, best-selling author of

more than 60

children's

picture

books visited

a number of

schools and

Instructional

Technology

Services on

March 7. His

titles include science non-fiction, math

concepts and holiday stories including

A Giraffe Did One, and Who Will Plant

a Tree?

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

16th Annual

SC Book Festival

May 18 - 20, 2012

Columbia Metropolitan

Convention Center

April is School Library Month

Get Ready to Celebrate! The American Association of School Librarians - AASL, designates April as

School Library Month to celebrate school librarians and their programs. Rich-

land One's school library media programs provide a wide range of print and elec-

tronic resources, literacy programming and services to help students achieve

their educational goals and to strengthen the overall instructional program.

Access to quality library programs is essential to building life-long learners, nur-

turing inquiry and providing the skills needed to interact with information in all

formats. We are very proud of our school library media programs and invite all students,

staff and community members to take full advantage of them for personal and

educational learning needs. School Library Month is the perfect time to thank

our district's library professionals for the work they do each day to provide posi-

tive and engaging learning experiences.

Award Winning Authors Visit

Ron Rash with ITS Staff

Jerry Pallotta signs books


Instructional Technology Services

From the Director Ida W. Thompson

Richland One’s school library media

programs were well represented at the

37th Annual South Carolina Associa-

tion of School Librarians in Green-

ville, SC March 14-16. Congratula-

tions to Columbia High who won

first place in the Young Adult Book

Award Banner Competition and

Arden Elementary who won third

place in the Children’s Book Award

Competition. Kathy Sutusky (Eau

Claire) is the association’s president

and was assisted by other Richland

One staffers who are serving on the

executive board. Richland One is

looking forward to hosting the annual

conference next year at the Columbia

Metropolitan Convention Center.

Preparations are nearing completion

for the 16th Annual Book Festival,

May 18-20, at the Columbia Metro-

politan Convention Center. A stellar

line-up of authors with be in

attendance, including Pat Conroy,

Ron Rash and Hanock McCurdy

(Chicken Soup for the Soul series).

Exhibits, presentations by national

and local authors, antiquarian book

fair, book signings and sales, a chil-

dren's pavilion, summer reading sta-

tion and much more will be available.

Visit www.scbookfestival.org for

more details. Students from Arden,

Burton-Pack, Forest Heights and

H. B. Rhame will participate in the

Children's Field Trip Day on May 18.

Media Assistants

Visit RCPL

Library media assistants were treated

to a book talking session highlighting

the newest award winning titles for

the year by members of the Children's

Room staff at Richland County

Public Library. They also toured the

award-winning Job Center and

learned about the many free services

available to help with employment

preparation and job searches. The

group boarded a bus at the Waverley

ITS office for the trip to the library.

Both the library visit and bus trip

were great fun!

Richland One Library Programs Shine at SCASL

16th Annual Book Festival

RCSD1 Library Media Representatives

Over the past months I have had the pleasure of reading to students across the

district - at both the secondary and elementary levels. There is nothing more gratifying

than opening students' eyes to new ideas and experiences through a good book. Reading in-

vites students to share their thoughts and reactions to an author's work, be comforted by familiar

characters and explore new realms of inquiry and knowledge.

Reading is powerful! Students lose themselves in a good book and find enjoyment in the interac-

tions with the reader and the author's message. Never assume that students are too old to be read

to. Stories carry their own magic, both for the reader and the audience. Throughout the month of

April, be sure to visit one of the district's school library media centers. Let the information tech-

nology specialist introduce you to the newest award winners or reunite you with an old favorite.

Remember to treat yourself and seize every possible opportunity to read to and with a student.

You'll be glad you did!

I look forward to seeing you at the READ-IN, the Augusta Baker Storytelling Festival and the South Carolina Book

Festival.

Media Assistants at RCPL




hosted the Annual District Technology

Showcase on Monday, March 12.

Schools across the district showcased

a variety of technology tools and re-

sources with individual displays in the

new C. A. Johnson High School audi-

torium. Vendors were also present,

displaying existing technology tools

and resources as well as new and

emerging technologies.

Following the presentations, students

were recognized with the Visual

Literacy Festival Technology/Video

Awards. Drawings for district em-

ployees and students concluded the

event.

Program presenters: Pam Williams (Columbia High)

Krista Jones (Consultant)

Tracy Hall-Amaker (Pine Grove)

Lamont Britt (Heyward Gibbes)

Lucia Jacobs (A. C. Flora)

Showcase winners: Judy Fisher (Smart Slate)

Linda Lundeen (Netbook)

Robin Stancik (Netbook)

Mary Haddon (Digital Camera)

Louise Smith (Digital Camera)

Ann Bowles (Document Camera)

Susan Lewis (Document Camera)

Lenette Trapp (Document Camera)

Belinda Willis (Document Camera)

Veronica Primus-Thomas (Nook)

Barbara Smily (Nook)

News and Notes

Richland One Schools

participated in a record

breaking 90 video confer-

ences for this year’s Read

Around the Planet. This

year students from Rich-

land One connected to

other schools in New

York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Wiscon-

sin, Kansas, and Texas, to name a

few; and as far away as Canada and

Wales in the United Kingdom.

Read Around the Planet is

a celebration of NEA’s

Read Across America.

During the video confer-

ence students read stories

or poetry to each other, or

performed skits, musicals,

plays, and raps. Students

then have the opportunity to ask

questions, share information and get

to know each other.

Apple held a Leadership Institute

Summit on Tuesday, March 20 at

EdVenture Children's Museum in Co-

lumbia. Several groups shared infor-

mation on engaging digital tools that

empower the 21st Century Learner.

Representatives from both the IT and

ITS departments, along with repre-

sentatives from other school districts

across South Carolina, attended this

event that focused on how to effec-

tively infuse iPods, iPads, and Macs

into a school district learning environ-

ment. A special set of workshops was

available for IT staff to obtain infor-

mation about the management and

deployment of multiple devices and

apps.

District Technology Showcase

Read Around the Planet

Apple Leadership Institute

JP Thomas students talk with

students from Wales, UK

Technology Educators at EdVenture


Calendar of Events DATE EVENT

April 2 - 5 Spring Break

April 10 School Board Meeting, Stevenson Administration Building, 7:00 p.m.

April 10 D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read, 1:30 p.m.

April 12 Statewide READ-IN, SC State House

April 13 Augusta Baker Festival

April 23 VLF Book Awards, Richland Mall, 4:00 p.m.

April 24 School Board Meeting, Pine Grove Elementary School, 7:00 p.m.

April 25 End of Year Meeting, Heyward Career Center, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

April 27 Spring Technology Education Classes End

April 30 Summer Technology Education Classes Posted on ITS Website

May 1 Retirees Open House, Keenan High School, 9:30 a.m.

May 8 School Board Meeting, South Kilbourne Elementary School, 7:00 p.m.

May 18 - 20 South Carolina Book Festival

May 24 Last Day of School

Instructional Technology Services 1225 Oak Street

Waverley Annex

Columbia SC 29204

Dwayne Smiling, Chairman Board of School Commissioners Dr. Percy Mack, Superintendent

Visit the ITS

Website!

ITS Directory

Ida Thompson,

Director, 231-6803

Elizabeth Kohut,

Technology Education

Coordinator, 400-1681

Diana Carr,

Library Media Consultant,

231-6799

Dr. Dale Bosworth,

Distance Learning

Consultant, 231-6798

Arischa Conner,

Technology Educator,

400-1684

Wendy Gallagher,


400– 1455

Emily Herbig,


400-1683

Jacquetta Morrison,


400-1679

Jennifer Thornsberry,


400-1678

Stephanie Johnson,

TOSA, 231-6796

Darlene Montgomery,

Secretary, 231-6803

Cathy Ratliff,

Accounting Clerk,

231-6804

Queen Bell-Lawton,

Secretary, 231-6802

Larry Richardson,

DES Technician,

231-6805

Aaron Blaine,

Media Clerk, 231-7159

Register in Avatar for Summer Technology Classes

Save the date!: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 7:30 a.m.

Administrators/ITS Celebration Breakfast,

Heyward Career Conference Center

ITS Newsletter March 2012

Documents

Transcript of ITS Newsletter March 2012