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PAGE 6B BARROW JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008 HANDS-ON WORK A student at Westside Middle School uses an Activslate to answer questions in class. Westside shows off technology EXPLAINING THE PROCESS Pam Sloan, a teacher at Westside Middle School in Barrow County, looks on as students interact with another classroom via video conferencing using the new Promethean Activboard. Westside Middle School recently opened its doors to special guests for a high- tech showcase of its new 21st Century classrooms. Eighth grade teacher Pam Sloan demonstrated the Barrow County School Districts Direct-to-Discovery (D2D) initiative within an Advanced Broadband Learning Environment (A.B.L.E.) classroom. The A.B.L.E. classroom enables students to connect directly to and interact direct ly with real world researchers in real time. What makes this pos sible is the district’s access to PeachNet (dubbed “The Network for Education in Georgia”) and Internet2 (the foremost U.S. advanced net working consortium) com bined with the Promethean Activclassroom technologies (Activboard, Activslates and Activotes). This “bundle” of technolo gy allows teachers to incorpo rate video, sound, interactive assessments, web conferenc ing, web content and other rich multimedia into their les son plans. With this hi-tech combi nation, students have the opportunity to connect to real world situations, such as the research laboratory at Georgia Tech University, an observa tory in Australia and to other classrooms around the world creating a truly global educa tion experience. The districts goal is for every classroom in Barrow County Schools to be an A.B.L.E. classroom. After the technology dem onstration, students expressed how they come to school early, stay late, and visit their A.B.L.E. classroom to work on projects for other classes that are not yet equipped with this technology. “In Barrow County Schools we are creating world class education that is hometown based,” said superintendent Ron Saunders. Need Holiday Cash? Come See Santa’s Best Helper! Drop by one of these convenient locations... 1048 Washington St Jefferson 706-367-9828 138 West Athens St Winder 770-867-2141 NEW LOCATION AT 5857 Spout Springs Rd - Flowery Branch 770-967-7047 Franklin Financial Serving Our Neighbors Since 1941 Let us show you how WE CAN HELP get rid of your money nightmares! *All loans subject to our liberal credit policy and limitations, if any. CARRIAGE NOW OPEN ACROSS FROM Ruby Tuesday’s at 30 South Broad St., Winder NEED TO SELL? List your home with us for as low as $500. Many plans and options to choose from. CONTACT: Tim Hill ~ Owner/Broker Mary Ellen Small ~ Owner/Managing Broker 678-963-5689 MATH MASTERS The third grade parents and teachers at Holsenbeck Elementary School recently cel ebrated the students’ accomplishments in the Math Masters Program. This is a fact- memorization incentive program to assist students in achieving math excellence. Each student will take a timed math test once a week on 100 math problems. The tests are timed for six minutes for the first level. The students will move through the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division at this timed level. They do not move to a new operation until the have correctly completed all 100 problems correct. After moving through the six-minute level, they will do the same 100 problems, but at the four-minute level, and then three minute level. After com pleting all of the three-minute level operations they move onto six-minute double digit addition. This is a very exciting and motivating experience for the students as they strive for the ultimate goal of becoming a Math Master, school officials said. Trip to Great Britain set for summer Need a holiday gift idea that’s guaranteed to fit and delight? Consider the Brittania, an 11-day trip to Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England in June 2009. The trip is sponsored by Winder-Barrow High School English teachers Cheryl Sauls and Matt Perry, who have been leading sum mer trips to Europe for more than a decade. “I can’t imagine a more exciting gift than the gift of travel - a chance to see a part of the world you’ve never seen before,” said Mrs. Sauls. In addition to a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone and listen to Irish music in Dublin, the trip will include a ferry across the Irish Sea to visit a castle in Wales. “From there, we’ll head up to Scotland and Edinburgh, which is always a favorite with our students,” Perry said. The trip will end with a night train from Edinburgh to London. “We’11 visit both historic and cultural loca tions. We’ll also make time for things like shopping at Harrod’s,” said Sauls. Trips are arranged through EF, the world’s largest student travel company. “We’ve been very happy with their ser vice; that’s why we’re repeat customers,” said Perry. However, the trips aren’t limited to WBHS students. “Community members are more than wel come to join us; it’s a great way to travel with some ‘home folks.’” For more information, contact the teach ers by calling WBHS at 770-867-4519, or emailing them at csauls@barrow.kl2.ga.us or mperryl 1 @barrow.kl2.ga.us. NOW is the time to buy a home or refinance your existing mortgage! 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