The Mail-Journal, Volume 22, Number 6, Milford, Kosciusko County, 6 February 1985 — Page 12
12
THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., February 6,1985
School news
a* / used by students vompilT6rS/ and teachers alike
By JO STURGIS JStaff Writer ’ Think back to when you were in elementary school and the highlight of the day was when the class formed two teams who would then compete against each other in spelling words or in math problems. What that game really did was drill and reinforce information into your brain. Today the elementary students are benefiting from the same reinforcement and drills; only today the students are using computers as their tool. Larry Pletcher, who used to teach at the Syracuse Elementary, is now employed full-time as the computer coordinator for the Lakeland School system. The story of computers at Syracuse Elementary started during the 1981-82 school year. They started that year with one Atari computer. In 1982, every elementary school in the corporation received four Apple computers. This year, the Syracuse Elementary is operating with eight Apples and five Ataris. The purpose of the computers is two fold. Their main usage is for education purposes in the classroom and the other use is for the teachers to use for figuring and recording grades and preparing worksheets and tests. The philosophy at Syracuse is that the computers should be used first for education purposes and then for management duties. Syracuse has a designated one computer for every grade level. The Ataris are used in the music, special education and primary age departments. This is because the strengths of the Atari software lie in these areas. For example, the early Atari software programs had much better color and graphic programs. The Apple computers are used primarily in grades two to five because this is where Syracuse has stronger software more suitable for these > grade levels. Pletcher said the computers have three main uses in the education system. The first use, which is also the most popular, is to drill and reinforce facts. “Here, the computer takes a mundane activity and puts flash in it." said Pletcher. The computer helps students remember terms and other facts in a new and exciting way. The second use for the computers is to tutor students . This is very common in math and more recently in the language arts. For tutorial use, the computer acts like flashcards in that the computer will give you an example of a math problem or sentence and will then ask you to do a similiar problem on your own. Simulation is the third use for the computers. One popular simulation game is the Oregon Trail, said Pletcher. This is an exercise where choices must be made throughout the exercise and the outcome depends on the choices the student makes. For example, one of the choices in the game forces the student to choose between an average team of oxen or a superior team of oxen to carry him on his journeys on the Oregon Trail and the game continues with more choices. Every grade level has a correlated curriculum so that the computer is used to learn different things at every level. The kindergarten classes mainly use the computer to learn the letters
School events at Milford
The following upcoming events are scheduled for February at Milford Elementary School and Miford Junior High. February 14 — Year book pictures (Grades K-8) 15 — Junior High Valentines Dance (6-8)
I CONGRATULATIONS! GOOD I fl M LUCK AT I STATE! I y -A T WJH These four I g Wawasee or- I 1 chestra students I won honors at the ■ B district level. B Ready to par- I ■ ticipate at state I I are standing left to I right: Joy Karesh, I KI Kristina Lange and I ' Laura Haney. ■ il Seated at the cello I ?*is Mandy Siegfried. I Keep Up The
4 -— ML Bl OK j-’ j MBk irv ..-4— W-rfl ' ggfil EVEN FIRST GRADERS EXPERIENC E COMPUTERS — Although the first graders have to work on the computers in the hallway because of lack of space in the classrooms at the Syracuse Elementary, they are still benefiting from computer experience. In the picture above. Jane Wieczork, first grade teacher, helps Laura Leaman, Benjamin Yoder and Josh Patterson with color graphics on the computers.
on the keyboard. A letter will flash on the screen and the student will have to press that letter on the keyboard. The second grade classes use the computer to learn to tell time. Mr. John Naab, elementary principal, said, “the computer is perfect to teach students to tell time because the hands on the clock are so exact on the computer where many times on a dido sheet, the hands on the clock are not very exact and it is hard for the students to determine the correct time.” The fourth grade classes are going to start a math exchange unit at the end of February. Four areas of math will be studied for ene week each. The four areas to bfe studied are computers, calculator/math, the metric system and common fractions. This is a motivational technique used to stimulate the students’ desire to learn about these different areas in math. Pletcher expressed two concerns in letting the elementary students operate computers. His first concern was that boys are often more aggressive than girls and might be getting more time to work on the computers than the girls. He said this is a nationwide problem though and one that teachers will just have to be aware of and control. His other concern was that the students aren’t learning the keyboard the correct way and might have a harder time learning to type when they get to high school, but much more time is spent on learning the keyboard and to type than has been in the past. Pletcher has many goals for the future of computers in the school system. One of these is that all teachers are comfortable with the computer. Another is to have one computer for every classroom and his third goal is to have a computer laboratory in every school. Naab would like to see software designed to assist a teacher in the diagnosis of problem areas and then prescribe a solution to the problem. For example, if a student is having problems with long division, he would like to see soft-
Activity period (Grades 6-8) Valentine’s parties in the afternoon for one hour (Grades K-5) 16 — Piano, Vocal Ensemble contest 19 — RIF distribution (Reading Is Fundamental) (Grades 20 — Mid-term (deficiency reports)
flil»jKi liC A lOs Zflflfl \ >,Z COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOM — In this Syracuse Elementary classroom, three computers are set up at the rear of the room for the fourth graders. Mrs. Lera Rinker, in the picture above, in back, helps the fourth graders with their computer assignments. Beside Mrs. Rinker is Adam Steele, standing. Sitting are Miranda Wolf, Erin Mort and Angela Leaman.
ware designed that could pinpoint the student’s problem after the student worked several long division problems on the computer and then suggest areas of improvement. It may be that the student is really just having trouble with his multiplication tables and even more specifically the multiples of nine for example. It would be a great help to the teacher to learn this information. Naab said some software has been designed to do this, but at the present time it is very inadequate. As to whether the use of computers at the elementary level will benefit or greatly increase the students knowledge of com-
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puters at the high school level remains to be seen. “We’re only surmising that what we’re doing now will help the students when they get to high school and beyond,” said Pletcher. He said he has not heard any complaints from any parents about their child learning on a computer, though. He said if he hears any complaint it’s that their child is not getting to spend enough time on the computer and that The schools need more computers. The days of the two teams competing against each other probably are not over, but the world of computers at the elementary level are just beginning and who knows where that may lead.
Lakeland y School ' Lunch ' k Me “" i
February 11-15 MONDAY — Foot long hot dogs, broccoli, mixed fruit or applesauce, baked item and milk TUESDAY — Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, hot rolls and butter, choice of fruit and milk WEDNESDAY — Barbeque pita, peas or green beans, pear halves, baked item and milk THURSDAY — Hamdingers, French fries, choice of fruit, Valentine cake and milk FRIDAY — Pizza, bread and butter, lettuce salad or corn, pineapple tidbits and milk All menus subject to change. All citrus banned MIAMI - The U.S. Department of Agriculture strengthened its embargo of Florida citrus fruit and trees recently, prohibiting shipment/of fruit even from canker-free areas to other citrus-producing states. Think spring! Dreary winter days can be brightened by checking annual garden and nursery catalogs to plan for your vegetable, flower and shrubbery needs for spring planting.
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DAR Good Citizens announced
Cathy Kay Cobbum of Wawasee High School, daughter of Owen and Saundra Cobbum, 313 Benton St., Syracuse, and Brian England of Warsaw Community High School, son of Oliver and Caralynn England, r 1 box 6, Claypool, have been chosen as the DAR Good Citizens of their respective schools. The contest is conducted by the Agnes Pruyn Chapman Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, with Mrs. William A. Nice as Good Citizen chairman. The student selected as the school’s DAR Good Citizen must be a citizen of the United States of America, and have qualifications of: Leadership, which includes personality, self-control, and the ability to assume responsibility; Dependability, which includes truthfulness, loyalty, and punctuality; Service, which includes cooperation, courtesy and consideration of others; Patriotism, which includes unselfish interest
Students go to state contest
On Saturday, Feb. 2, 14 orchestra students from the Lakeland Community School Corporation went to a solo and ensemble contest held at Wawasee High School. Receiving a division II for a violin duet were Mark Miller and Jeremy Corson. Receiving a division II for solos were Joy Karesh, violin; Mandy Siegfried, Jennifer Wolferman and Rochelle Denny, cello. Receiving a division I for their cello duet were Mary Vester and Connie Polise. Milford Junior High string quartet consisting of Julie Hollar, Stephanie Hobbs, Tina den Har-
fl flflk fl CATHY KAY COBBUM in family, school, community and nation. A written essay of not more than 500 words is also required and accounts for 50 percent of the test. The title of the essay this
tog and /Krista Zimmerman rating of I. The Wawasee string quartet, consisting of Joy Karesh, Laura Haney, Kristina Lange and Mandy Siegfried, received a superior rating I and will be attending the state solo and ensemble in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 9. Unnecessary CHICAGO — Bathtub electrocutions claim 20 to 25 lives a year — lives that could be saved if families kept hair dryers and other bathroom electrical appliances unplugged a researcher said recently.
Wpf BRIAN ENGLAND year was “Our American Heritage and My Responsibility to Preserve it.” The essays are sent to the State Good Citizen chairman, Mrs. Donal Bolinger, to be judged. Try soda! Extinguish small cookfYrg. fires by tossing handfuls of dry baking soda at the base of the flame after turning off gas or electricity. Never use soda in a deep fat fryer fire.
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