Adams-Cheshire Welcomes New Technology Director

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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New Technology Director Mark Kline goes over some of the goals he has for this year.

CHESHIRE, Mass. – Superintendent Kristen Gordon introduced the Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee to new Director of Technology Mark Kline on Monday.

Kline presented some of the changes he would like to make this fall.

Gordon explained that when the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education evaluated the district, it urged the district to hire someone who could help unify the district’s technology.

Gordon said Kline has been on the job two weeks and, being a teacher in the past, has a great knowledge of how to implement technology in the classroom for both teachers and students.

"He has great compassion and empathy for teachers because he has been a teacher and he knows if you want this you have to do training and build confidence," Gordon said. "It was really clear that he was very respectful and he can mandate changes but knows how to get people t to a place where they welcome it."

Kline said this will be one of his main focuses this fall – to help teachers become more comfortable with technology in the classroom.

He said the school has a solid amount of devices, especially with more laptops on the way, but many teachers do not feel comfortable integrating technology in the classroom.

"How do we get the staff the professional development that will allow teachers to make good use of the technology that we have available?" Kline said. "We have a lot of people that have had technology thrown at them but for one reason or another we aren't using it to the extent we should."

Gordon said DESE reported that only 11 percent of middle school educators feel comfortable integrating technology in the classroom.

Teacher Thomas Corrigan also has been hired as a technology integrator who will help teachers integrate this technology into their curriculum, especially in the middle school.

"The tech committee found that Tom Corrigan's personality was just perfect in terms of working with teachers, having a background in technology," Gordon said.

Kline said he would like to excite and engage students more with technology by moving away from drills and have students publish blogs or websites.

"I think a very important aspect of student education is the opportunity to produce something for an audience and that audience can be the whole world with the internet," he said.

Kline said the district already has the ability to gauge and access students' needs and respond, but lacks the ability to excite students and tap into their creativity with technology.

"If you think of a train trying to run on one of those rails, it is not going to get far, and I think we need to have another rail and that is student creativity," he said.

Kline said he would like to move toward student response software or "clickers" that allows students to respond to questions posted in front of them. He said a laptop or any other device can do this and it will give teachers more feedback on student achievement and their lessons.

"I think it is a really important part of giving teachers the opportunity to get a lot of feedback from students very quickly and effectively to help with lessons and direction," he said.

Kline also said he would like to focus on documentation and catalog passwords and inventories. He said he would also like to create software tutorials for teachers.

"There is a tremendous amount of knowledge here but it is mostly in people's heads," he said. "There isn't really an easy way for someone new like me to come in."

He also thinks the computer usage policy should also be updated and take on a more "empowering" perspective, and advocated for adding digital citizenship and online safety to the curriculum.

"The trend these days is more of an empowering policy and looking to find ways to help students responsibly use the technology available to them," he said.

Kline said he would like to move the district toward using Google Apps for Education, which will allow students to work collaboratively from any computer and allow teachers to comment on assignments. The applications will also help unify teachers and keep them organized as well as cost nothing.

Kline also wants to simplify the server structure and eventually move more toward the cloud.

"We have a very nice server room here with lots and lots of equipment and lot so of servers, and I think we can simplify that structure a little bit so that tech time can go more to responding to people’s needs," he said.

Kline said he would be happy to attend School Committee meetings in the future and provide updates.


Tags: ACRSD,   curriculum,   technology,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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