By Maddy Vitale
Ocean City teachers are getting ready for the first day of school, which is Thursday. And they are doing it by heading into the classroom to learn how to use new technology that will be implemented in the fall and is designed to benefit educators, parents, and most importantly, the students.
Two days of in-service training began Tuesday in the high school library. Teachers received training on a program called Unified Classroom, which enables students, teachers and parents to access curriculum and other information in a more streamlined fashion than previous programs used in the district.
“We are learning a lot of different options and features than what we have already,” commented Catherine Georges, an advanced placement biology teacher in the high school.
Jimmy Myrick, an instructor from PowerSchool, demonstrated the new technology to the teachers who filled the room.
In addition to training on the new program, Myrick said teachers were also going to be taught about other vital tools that are beneficial for teachers.
“We are showing them how to create assignments, scoring, and how to share information with students and parents,” he said.
Schools Superintendent Kathleen Taylor said of the coming year, “Summer is still in the air as Ocean City School District once again kicks-off the new school year with innovative initiatives and cutting-edge programs, always with the health and well-being of our students as our top priority.”
The overarching theme for the 2018/2019 School Year is connections, she said.
“Our students, staff and families will benefit from several new technologies including our new AMX School View Unified Campus that improves communication among our schools and within the classroom, STOPit K12 Solution designed to address inappropriate student behavior, as well as Suite 360 an on-demand video and informational series,” Taylor said.
She added that technology is just one way to connect.
“In my back-to-school letter, I reminded our OC families that while technology is one way we connect, but not the only and most significant way,” Taylor continued. “Rather it’s our one-to-one connections that strengthen us, both collectively and as individuals. Connecting one-to-one with our students and families is top of mind for the entire district and me.”
The afternoon was packed with information teachers skillfully tackled. They sat in groups scrolling their keyboards and testing out the new program.
High school biology teacher Dan Reinhold called the Unified Classroom “one-stop shopping.”
“It is really user-friendly. You don’t need a bunch of passwords to sign in,” Reinhold said. “This is good for kids, parents and teachers to access.”
During a 10-minute break, some teachers got up and stretched, others decided to stay put and work on some things they learned.
Primary school teachers Randy Kohr, a technology instructor, Cape May County Teacher of the Year Carrie Merritt, who teaches first grade, and Megan Riordan, a special education teacher, sat together and discussed some things they learned and what they hoped to do with the program. They agreed it will be a valuable educational tool.
“It has been very informative,” Kohr said of the training session. “Just like the students, we are learning something new. There is quite a bit to learn, but I am excited about it.”
Merritt said there are advantages of the new program for the students and their families.
In addition to learning about the Unified Classroom, teachers spent time working on their individual classroom websites. Each teacher has his or her own school website, which is readily available to parents and students.
Every year, educators create new, fresh versions of their sites to correlate with the new curriculum and lesson plans. They also add some informative, fun and educational pieces to the site, which include videos, photos, and other inviting things to help get families involved in their child’s education.
“The websites are engaging,” Merritt said. “As parents, you can check in with your children. It becomes a really good tool with the high school kids.”
She said of the day of training, “We are learning as we go. We are learning the basics of a really good new program.”
