Below are just two of the website postings and press releases I created for my new district. It is important to get the word out and shed light on the amazing things students, teachers and administration are doing each day…
Teachers Adopting Google Classroom
Just in time for the start of the school year, Google has officially released a revolutionary and dynamic tool called, Google Classroom. Poised to enhance the way Groton-Dunstable teachers and students engage with our curriculum, Google Classroom also taps into the technology resources. Best of all, Google Classroom is simple and free.
Through summer professional development and steady deployment of support and workshops from the technology department, Google Classroom is taking off and being used in nearly every grade. Over the course of a couple of hours, teachers are able to learn and adapt the available tools into their everyday teaching, as well as find new ways to share lesson materials. Recent network and technology advances have made this exciting, 21st-century learning opportunity available.
During a recent visit to Thea Durling’s seventh-grade mathematics class at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School, the success and implementation of Google Classroom were evident, even with a tried and true method that typically does not require the use of technology…hands-on, math manipulatives.
Using Google Classroom, Mrs. Durling was able to combine an old school and new school approach into her lesson. Students counted and practiced using manipulatives and entered their answers on a Google Doc, which was assigned through Google Classroom, for feedback.
“I’m thrilled with it (Google Classroom) because every single student participates in posting a comment. In traditional class discussions, which still have a place for sure, only certain kids talk,” said Durling.
Providing student voice and digital citizenship is just another feature of Google Classroom, by providing teachers and students multiple opportunities to share questions and learn.
Durling continued, “Classroom also lets me review comments individually and check in with kids about misconceptions…I am just really enjoying it!”
If you would like to learn more or have questions on Google Classroom, please contact a member of the technology team in your building.
Newsweek Recognizes GDRHS, Ranks No. 86 in the Nation
Groton-Dunstable Regional High School has much to boast about including being recognized for its outstanding academic achievement. To go along with past honors such as some of the top MCAS scores in the state, and receipt of the prestigious AP Honor Roll multiple years in a row, GDRHS was recently named in Newsweek as one of America’s Top High Schools of 2014.
Data commissioned and compiled by Newsweek, based both on student achievement and college readiness indicators, placed GDRHS as the No. 86th ranked high school in the country and No. 5-ranked in the state.
“I wish to congratulate all students, staff, families, and our community for this recognition. I am glad that Newsweek has recognized the great academic merits of our high school. Being ranked 86th in the country represents our strength nationwide; being ranked 5th in Massachusetts demonstrates our leadership at the state level,” Groton-Dunstable Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Kristan Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez continued, “we will continue to review data points, and rankings such as these, to identify strengths and determine areas of growth so students at Groton-Dunstable Regional Schools will succeed well into the future. This distinction is a true reflection of the commitment and expertise of our staff, the involvement of our families, the support from the towns of Groton and Dunstable, and the work ethic and academic performance of our students. I am so proud to be a part of this community!”
The Newsweek rankings, “aim to identify the public high schools in the U.S. that do the best job of preparing students for college and overcome the obstacles posed by socioeconomic inequality.”
The ranking analysis created a college readiness score that Newsweek based on the following six indicators; enrollment rate (25 percent) graduation rate (20 percent), weighted AP/IB composite (17.5 percent), weighted SAT/ACT composite (17.5 percent), holding power as related to the change in student enrollment between ninth and 12th grades (10 percent) and finally counselor-to-student Ratio (10 percent).
The rankings came as no surprise to principal Michael Mastrullo, who has been a strong leader and visionary at the high school since 2011. “We are proud to be recognized by Newsweek as one of the best schools in the country. The two towns of Groton and Dunstable have demonstrated a deep commitment to education, and that commitment has borne fruit,” Mastrullo said. “Above all else, the acknowledgment by Newsweek is a testament to the hard work and effort demonstrated on a daily basis by students and staff.”
Mastrullo was quick to point out that, “although one cannot put too much stock in rankings, it does serve as an affirmation that we are on the correct course…it simply makes the rest of the state and country aware of what we already know. GDRHS is a great place to work and a great place to attend high school!”