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Elmwood Murdock Web Parent Program News

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March 23, 2001: Issue 3

In this issue:

• EM Wireless Technology Keeps Up With Johns Hopkins and The Rest

• EM Website Reaches Out To GREAT Grandma

• Get Your Popcorn HERE!

• Procedures for Child-Safe Internet Use Implemented

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EM Wireless Technology Keeps Up With Johns Hopkins and The Rest

My brother was telling me how amazed he was with the technology at his new teaching job at Johns Hopkins University.  He said that they have portable computers on carts that are linked together through a wireless network. He was even more amazed when I matter-of-factly said, "We have that at our schools in Elmwood-Murdock too." On my plane trip home, the airline video had a whole segment on the great wireless technology being used at Johns Hopkins University. It was then I realized, that we at Elmwood Murdock Schools need to acknowledge how well and how far we've come with technology.

When Paul Dwyer started the year as the school's new Technology Coordinator, he had five computer labs to set up. The Elementary building in Elmwood got a whole new computer lab of 20 iMacs and 4 iMacs for the library.  These computers talk to each other through a wireless network, meaning, there is no cable between them. A signal is sent from the computer to the central control unit. This allows the computers to be moved out of the lab for other uses, and still be able to get to the Internet. 

The Internet connection for the elementary building was put on a wireless connection also. Towers were placed on the Murdock and Elmwood buildings, which send signals between them to transfer information. This improved the Internet connection in the Elmwood elementary building tremendously. Before this the connection to the Internet was very slow.

Last year, teachers in the elementary building had iMac computers installed in their classrooms to allow them to do work, and communicate through email to the rest of the school right from their desk. 

The JH/HS building in Murdock is completely wireless. We have six wireless hubs that allow students to move throughout the building and still use the Internet or network.  Students have access to 20 wireless laptops and the library has 20 computers that are also wireless.  In addition the JH/HS building installed 3 classroom labs, two for the business rooms and a writing lab for the English department. Students have access to cutting edge technology that wasn't available in the past. These 3 additions have allowed students and staff computer equipment that is second to none.

EM Website Reaches Out to GREAT Grandma

One of the objectives of the Web Parent program has been to provide an opportunity for our students to exhibit their work to distant friends and family.  As a result,  they will develop an appreciation for the using the web as a global communication tool.  When Mrs. Backemeyer received the following note, we knew that at least one family was connecting online.  

June and Shannon Ross are Great Grandparent's of "Tori" in Mrs. Backemeyer's class.  The note read, "Dear Mrs. Backemeyer,  We just can't thank you enough for the opportunity to feel even closer to our Great Granddaughter Tori. We will be able to see her art work and other things that she does in school. What a wonderful age we live in. With forward looking teachers like you teaching our young people things just have to progress more with each coming generation. Keep up the good work. You have made two Great Grandparents so happy. What a wonderful Christmas gift. Thanks again,  Percy S. and June Ross."

We talked to the Ross's from their home in San Antonio Texas.  June is happy to brag that she is 76 years old next month.  She and her husband Percy (Shannon) have been using a computer at home for two years to do "everything".  She writes letters and a journal, makes greeting cards, checks the stock market, corresponds by email with friends relatives and pen pals, and even a sailor in the Arabian Sea.  June said she is "thrilled" with the Elmwood Murdock Website.  She keeps going back to the site to look for new work.  She especially likes seeing the kid's artwork, and she enjoyed reading about the class play they did on "The Glump".  She was also impressed with the school's report card and the school board business online.  But mostly she "loves to get in on what Tori is doing."

June was a library secretary at a high school for 17 years and continues to be interested in education.  She enjoys using Refdesk.com to do online searches and research information.  She says "Using a computer keeps my mind agile.  We like to spread the news that having fun in your old age may just be a PC. We must all try to keep up with technology whatever our age."  Now that is one really GREAT Grandma!  

Get Your Popcorn HERE!

The Web Parent Program seeks to provide our students with real-world experiences using the Internet, to understand the many uses in business, industry and education.  You have probably heard the word "ecommerce", a word used to describe the ability to perform business transactions over the Internet, such as online banking, stock trading, travel reservations or online shopping.  Providing the classic real-world experiences in ecommerce for our elementary students proved problematic because of the necessity to process some form of money, usually through a credit card.  We came up with a method to bring the experience down to our student's real world by allowing them to order popcorn online.

Popcorn Friday is held sporadically through the school year as a fund raiser.  Students bring fifty cents to spend on a bag of popcorn that becomes a welcome end-of-the-week treat on Friday afternoon.  The students order their popcorn Friday morning, so they know how many bags of popcorn to make.  We decided to turn this into an "ecommerce" learning experience.  Paul Dwyer created a form that the students use to order their popcorn on the school's internal web network.  The program tabulates all orders, and breaks the orders down by classroom and student for delivery of the popcorn.  The payment of course, is still collected by hand.

Popcorn Friday Online gives many students their first "ecommerce" experience.  And, they sold more popcorn than ever before.  Next Friday, April 30th, will be the next "Popcorn Friday".  We will use this opportunity to emphasize more learning points with the students about using the Internet for ecommerce.

Procedures for Child-Safe Internet Use Implemented

With the advent of the Web Parent Program, our project team reviewed all current policies regarding Internet use and updated many policies and practices.  

• To use the Internet for either email or browsing web pages

• A parent or guardian must give permission.

• Permission is documented once annually but can be changed at any time through the Principal's office.

• The Web Parent Program provided valuable training to teachers and parents on kid-safe practices.

• Children are only allowed to use kid-safe search engines, and kid-safe email.

• Students are never allowed to use chat rooms of any kind at school.

Kid safe search engines, are search programs on the Internet with specific built-in features that filter out material that is inappropriate for children.  In this manner, you can be confident that your child can use the Internet, without inadvertently being exposed to inappropriate material.  E-pals is an email program specifically for kids, teachers and parents that allows the teachers and parents to monitor the content of messages to and from each child.  To read more about Internet Safety, or "Cyber-Safety", see the safety pin links at the top of our website, http://www.elm.esu3.org/elementary_/index.htm.

If you have any questions about Internet safety at Elmwood-Murdock Elementary, please talk to your child's teacher, Mr. Friedrich, or Mr. Dwyer.

When creating web pages with student's pictures or student's work the following policies are used: 

• General: 

  • Last names of students shall never appear on a web page.  

  • Personal information about students shall never be included, such as address, age, phone, etc.  

  • Pages will not contain copyrighted or trademarked material belonging to others, including student material, unless written permission to display such material has been obtained from the owner.

• Photos:  

  • A child's name will never appear with a child's picture.

  • A parent or guardian must give permission for photos of a child to be included on a web page. 

  • Permission is documented once annually but can be changed at any time through the Principal's office.  

   

• Student Work: 

  • School work, such as art work can have the child's name, but only the first name.  The initial of the last name can be added when necessary to distinguish between two children with the same first name.

  • A parent or guardian must give permission for student work to be included on a web page. 

  • Permission is documented once annually but can be changed at any time through the Principal's office.    

FORWARD TO A FRIEND
Keep your friends, family, community and educational colleagues up to date on the Ed-site-ment happening at Elmwood Murdock Elementary.  Please forward this newsletter and spread the good word about preparing our kids for success in the age of technology.