Fort board talks tech

Fort Recovery Local Schools want to expand the use of technology, both in the classroom and for communication with the community.
Superintendent Shelly Vaughn talked with Fort Recovery School Board and its meeting Wednesday about what she learned at an American Association of School Administrators consortium, saying the schools have just scratched the surface in terms of using technology to further learning.
High school principal Jeff Hobbs also discussed technology, telling the board that he’s expanding his use of social media in an attempt to connect with the community.
Vaughn spent Sunday and Monday in Seattle meeting with superintendents from around the country talking about digital learning at the AASA event.
“The struggles we have in our district aren’t unlike struggles other districts encounter, no matter what their size, no matter where they are,” said Vaughn. “And actually … Ohio has a lot fewer restrictions than a lot of states, as far as our ability to be a little bit more innovative and creative and try new things.”
Vaughn noted that while Fort Recovery has made use of Google Apps for education, E-Days and other technology-base learning, there is still a lot more available to help enhance the process.

It’s not enough to just be using a computer to take notes, she said.
A key to successfully implementing technology, she added, is to generate data that is helpful and informs the learning process. That could lead to each student having an individualized learning plan based on his or her needs.
“We’re really just scratching the surface about the way we use technology,” said Vaughn. “The possibilities are endless.”
It’s important, she noted, to prepare kids for their future, which is likely to be infused with technology.
“They’ve never known life without it,” said board president Jose Faller.
Hobbs told the board he has expanded his use of Twitter, showing members he had already taken and posted a photo with his phone earlier in the meeting. He plans to tweet a “From the Desk of the Principal” each Friday to give his followers an idea of what will be happening at FRHS over the weekend and during the following week.
“I’ve gotten into it a little bit more as the year has gone on,” Hobbs said. “It gives me an opportunity to show off our kids.”
Vaughn encouraged those interested to use #FRIndians, which is connected to the Fort Recovery Local Schools web site.
Middle school principal Matt Triplett and Vaughn also talked about efforts to improve the school system’s “value added” grades, which are designed to measure the impact schools and teachers have on student learning. Fort Recovery’s value-added ratings, and those of many schools in the area, have been all over the board, so administrators have been researching how to improve.
Triplett noted that a recent visit by teachers to Marion Local and Versailles schools, which have had strong ratings, helped generate some ideas. He said a key will be focusing on groups of students, from gifted to special needs, in order to better serve them.
In other business, board members Aaron Guggenbiller, Ginny Fortkamp, Dave Hull, Amy Bihn and Faller:
•Approved an overnight field trip for the middle school band April 15 and 16 to Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio.
•Accepted donations totaling more than $6,000, including an anonymous gift of $4,000 to the football program.
•Honored coach Brent Niekamp and the senior players on the Fort Recovery High School football team. The Indians turned in the best season in school history this year, posting a 7-5 record, their first playoff appearance and first playoff win.
•Discussed the possibility of investing money through online sources. In the past, the school district has generally invested in local banks, but treasurer Lori Koch said other districts have gotten significantly better interest rates — sometimes double — through web-based options.
•Set its 2015 organizational meeting and regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13. The board will then hold a work session at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 to discuss its continuous improvement plan.
•Approved keeping pay for school board members the same — $80 per meeting for 16 meetings.