HARBINGER
THE
issue two september 18 2006
TURN:TO
7
FRESH OFFICER Officer Brady Sullivan speaks about his recent job switch and eagerness to work with East students.
12
PLUGGING EDUCATION
HIDDEN CAR COSTS Speeding, reckless driving and accidents can cause surges in auto payments.
INTO
21 DOUBLE FAULTS Tennis team loses two of its top players to extracurriculars and college aspirations.
44 DAYS TO HALLOWEEN
DISTRICT AIMS TO IMPROVE CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY by [bernadette myers]
After the bell rings, the entire class takes their seats and gets ready for the test. But, instead of getting out a pencil or pen, the class gets out their wireless handheld computers (palms). The teacher beams it to the entire class. Instantly, it is transferred from the teacher’s PC onto the students’ palms.
Each of the fifty multiple choice questions are answered using the palm. Once finished, each person’s final grade shows up immediately on their screen. A person in the front sighs in relief. A 92 percent means the rest of the day is worry free. For the high school students in the Olathe school district these kinds of instant test results can happen every day in every class. The system they use to take many of their tests is known as the Classroom Performance System (CPS) and in Olathe schools it is accessed wirelessly through the palms.
“The entire high school checks out a palm at the beginning of every school year,” said Olathe Northwest principal Gwen Poss. “Some students may only use them in classes like English and others could use them in all their classes.” According to associate principal Steven Loe, the East fund, which is composed of grants and donations has put East ahead of the other Shawnee Mission schools. Neighboring districts, however, like Blue Valley and Olathe exceed Shawnee Mission when it comes to SMART technology and Olathe even provides palm pilots to their students.
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