Richland School District One

Instructional Technology Services Richland County School District One

Volume 5, Issue 3 Spring 2013

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

From the Director ......... 2

Technology Showcase ... 2

QR Code Magic ............. 2

News and Notes ............. 3

SCASL Highlights ......... 3

Literacy Events.............. 3

Calendar of Events ........ 4

Our participa-

tion is grow-

ing! Once

again Richland

One Schools

participated in

the annual

Read Around

the Planet event and hosted a record

breaking 115 video conferences.

Students from elementary, middle and

high schools throughout the district

collaborated with other schools all

over the nation from New York to

Wyoming, from Canada and Texas; as

well as internationally with Wales in

the United Kingdom.

Read Around the Planet is a literary

event that celebrates NEA’s Read

Across America. Literacy activities

such as reading stories or poetry skits,

musicals, plays, and raps are among

the many ways students present to one

another.

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

April is School

Library Month

Do something special

for your

media center staff!

Technology Bootcamps Scheduled

Get ready! Get fit for fall with bootcamps offered through Instructional Technol-

ogy Services. These concentrated workshop weeks will help to prepare and sup-

port district teachers and staff with the most current resources and trends in tech-

nology integration. Specialty weeks are as follows:

June 24 - 27 - District Software

July 8 - 11 - Online Resources

July 16 - 17 - ITS Institute

July 22 - 25 - Mobile Technology

July 29 - Aug 1 - SMART Technology/Renaissance Place (AR)

Registration begins May 13, 2013 in Avatar. Additional information

regarding registration, workshop titles, times, and dates is posted on the depart-

ment’s website.

Richland One Number One in the Nation With the Highest Number of Read Around the Planet

Video Conferences in a School District

Pine Grove Students talk with

students from El Paso, Texas

Richland School District One

Page 2 Instructional Technology Services

From the Director Ida W. Thompson

Teachers throughout the district are

using QR codes to create lessons that

are engaging and high-tech. QR

codes can be scanned with any QR

reading device such as an iPod

Touch, iPad or cell phone. Once

scanned these codes are linked to

text, websites, phone numbers, etc.

Columbia High English teacher,

Emma Ball, created an activity in

which students scanned a QR code

that took them to a website. Then

using skills they discussed in class,

the students had to deconstruct the

website and tell whether it was a

reliable or unreliable source based

on a set criteria.

Alcorn Middle teacher, Joselyn Da-

vis-Williams had students create QR

codes after reading the novel

“Eleven.” Students rotated to sta-

tions around the classroom testing

their knowledge on what was read

through the QR questions.

Students in Tori Simmons classes at

Hand Middle scanned teacher creat-

ed codes that took students to web-

sites where they explored techniques

used in articles and advertising.

Students at Pine Grove, Sandel and

Rhame used QR codes to prepare

for PASS testing by creating sample

test questions.

Caughman Road and Logan stu-

dents are used QR codes to learn

about research and informational

text.

QR Code Magic by Jennifer Thornsberry

Recently I was keenly reminded of the value of highly motivated and dedicated profession-

als at the conference of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (Columbia Metro-

politan Convention Center - March 6-8). Richland One's team was an obvious leader and distin-

guished itself on many levels. It was most rewarding to see both our programs and information

technology specialists featured in many leadership roles and being recognized and sought out by

their peers. You can read more about our district's participation later in this newsletter.

Each day we have the opportunity to shape

the lives of our students and impact their fu-

tures. Central and most important is having

caring, committed and competent persons who are willing to make

a difference. I am most proud our district's efforts and the forty-

seven information technology specialists and thirty library media

center assistants who work hard each day to bring quality infor-

mation services and resources to our learning community.

April is School Library Month, an annual celebration sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians to

celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student's educational career. Take the time to

thank your school library media center staff for their efforts. It is most deserved and will be greatly appreciated!

◄Rhame

student

scanning a

QR code

On March 25 Instructional Technol-

ogy Services celebrated it’s Annual

Technology Showcase. After a visu-

al presentation of each school’s tech-

nology highlights, IT-ologies’ Lon-

nie Emard gave a key address and

Michael Price demonstrated Albert

the Robot. Winners in the Visual

Literacy Computer Technology/

Video Competition were recognized.

Technology Showcase

Michael Price and Albert the Robot

Richland School District One

Page 3 Instructional Technology Services

Diana Carr, Library Media Consult-

ant, was elected Vice-President, Presi-

dent-Elect. She assumes her duties on

July 1 and will be tasked with handling

conference planning activities for next

year.

Elizabeth Gregory, (J. P. Thomas),

received the association's Distin-

guished Service Award for her many

years of tireless work in the associa-

tion.

Ida Thompson, Instructional Technolo-

gy Services Director, received the com-

mendation from the American Association of School Li-

brarians recognizing Reading Rocks at the national level

as an outstanding literacy program. Only eight such

awards were made by AASL this year.

Irish Anderson (Eau Claire) and Gloria Coleman

(C. A. Johnson), served on the Board of Directors

Concurrent sessions were presented by: Gloria Coleman

(C. A. Johnson), Lena Lee (Rosewood), Jane Speight

(W. A. Perry), Betsy Russell (Bradley), Ida W. Thomp-

son and Diana Carr (Instructional Technology Services).

Betsy Russell, (Bradley) Carole Ferriole (Mill Creek)

and Susan Mazur (Crayton) served on the various Book

Award Committees.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Amy Coquillard on her induction into

Beta Phi Mu at USC’s School of Library and Information

Science.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Gregory at JP Thomas and

Lindsay Pierce at Meadowfield on their selection as

Teacher-of-the-Year at their respective schools.

News and Notes

Instructional Technology Services was pleased to sponsor

the visit of Bryan Collier, illustrator of Dave the Potter,

the featured book for this year's Together We Can Read

Initiative. Congratulations are extended to Mr. Collier

who received the 2013 Coretta Scott King Award for Il-

lustration for his book, I, Too Am America.

The Annual Statewide READ-IN will be held April 11 at

the S. C. State House. Over 2000 students from across

the state will be participating.

The 27th Annual Augusta Baker's Dozen Storytelling

Celebration will be held April 11-14. Connie Regan-

Blake is the featured storyteller with special performances

by Grammy winners The Okee Dokee Brothers.

Don't miss the 17th Annual South Carolina Book Festi-

val, May 17-19 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention

Center. More details are available

at www.scbookfestival.org.

Dr. Heather Moorehead-Lang, im-

mediate past chair of the AASL 25

Best Websites for Teaching and

Learning will visit Columbia and

make presentations at USC and ITS

on April 24, 2013.

USC welcomes Dr. Henrietta M. Smith for a special

lecture, “Welcome to My Home: a Visit with Augusta

Baker” which will be held on Friday, April 19 at 4:30pm

in the Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library –

Thomas Cooper Library. Dr. Smith is Professor Emerita

from the University of South Florida School of Infor-

mation and editor of the Coretta Scott King Award Book.

SCASL Conference Highlights

Literacy Events

Diana Carr

Library Media

Consultant

Richland School District One

Calendar of Events DATE EVENT

April 11 Statewide READ-IN, SC State House

April 12 Augusta Baker Festival

April 16 Retiree’s Open House, Olympia, 9:30 a.m.

April 16 D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read, 1:30 p.m.

April 22 VLF Book Awards, Richland Mall, 4:00 p.m.

April 24 School Board Meeting, Sanders Middle School, 7:00 p.m.

April 24 End of Year Meeting, Olympia Auditorium, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

April 27 Spring Technology Education Classes End

April 30 Summer Technology Education Classes Posted on ITS Website

May 8 School Board Meeting, Logan Elementary School, 7:00 p.m.

May 13 - 19 Children’s Book Week

May 17 - 19 South Carolina Book Festival

May 28 School Board Meeting, Stevenson Administration Building, 7:00 p.m.

May 30 Last Day of School

June 17 - 20 Middle School Technology Camp

Instructional Technology Services 1225 Oak Street

Waverley Annex

Columbia SC 29204

Jamie Devine, Chairman Board of School Commissioners Dr. Percy Mack, Superintendent

Visit the ITS

Website!

ITS Directory

Ida Thompson,

Director, 231-6803

Diana Carr,

Library Media Consultant,

231-6799

Elizabeth Kohut,

Technology Education

Coordinator, 400-1681

Dr. Dale Bosworth,

Distance Learning

Consultant, 231-6798

Arischa Conner,

Technology Educator,

400-1684

Dawn Gardner,

Technology Educator,

400– 1455

Emily Herbig,

Technology Educator,

400-1683

Jacquetta Morrison,

Technology Educator,

400-1679

Jared Johnson,

Technology Educator,

400-1709

Nancy Swanson,

Technology Educator,

400-1682

Jennifer Thornsberry,

Technology Educator,

400-1678

Darlene Montgomery,

Secretary, 231-6803

Cathy Ratliff,

Accounting Clerk,

231-6804

Queen Bell-Lawton,

Secretary, 231-6802

Larry Richardson,

DES Technician,

231-6805

Vacant,

Media Clerk, 231-7159

Register in Avatar for Summer Technology Classes

Save the dates!

June 17-20 - Middle School Summer Technology Camp

July 16-17th - ITS Institute

July 18 - ITS and Administrator Appreciation Luncheon