THE
e n i l i h tiger
VOLUME 51 ISSUE 4 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
New changes expected from PEP grant Seniors Brandan Leyh and Mason Meyer utilize the lifting equipment in the weight room. Additional equipment to the cardio room and dance mats are expected to be added this year.
Chandal Geerdes Staff Writer
After winning a $1 million grant last year to improve health equipment and facilities, the district is now ready for another year of improvements to healthy education options. This year there will be a few things happening such as a district-wide dance program, new weight and cardio equipment for Holmes Junior High and new equipment for the elementary schools. From the original plan, year two spending is to be set at $270,000. “The (district-wide dance) program will allow up to 32 mats at one time that are projected up on the wall. You will be able to see your progress and others at the same time,” project director Troy Becker said. The grant money will also add a variety of machines to the new cardio room. Last year, the grant also expanded
health class rooms. Although the weight room has been a popular destination at the high school, the goals for the funds do not target any further developments there until year three. Another opportunity the grant will provide is for K-12 teachers to attend the national conference in California to learn about the latest ideas for
physical education. They willl also be able to attend the state conference. “I like to go because I learn a lot of new games, get to talk to equipment reps and network with a lot with other teachers,” physical education teacher Jamie Smith said. The grant will also help provide fitness opportunities for low income students to
Imonee Qualls Photo attend the rec center and The Falls swimming pool. “The grant will benefit all of our 4,500 plus students in the district K - 12. Every school will receive items that all students will use in PE,” Becker said. To carry out all these plans for the grant, a PEP committee of physical education teachers, students, parents and
community members work together to decide the way the funds are spent from the PEP grant. “I am able to network with community members and parents. It is also great having the students there and hearing their point of view on things,” Smith said. Some topics for discussion at the meetings include deciding what equipment to order and brainstorming ways to best use the equipment, ideas on how to redevelop curriculum and ways to get students active outside of school “I love being a part of this committee. It is hard work, but very much worth it,” Smith said. Funds for year three of the PEP grant will be about $250,000. “This grant has been very beneficial in many ways, and I am very excited about the changes it will continue to make to K-12 physical education at CF,” Smith said.
Cedar Valley Catholic School system purchases laptops for students Maya Amjadi Staff Writer
The Cedar Valley Catholic School system (CVCS) is giving its sixth through 12th graders MacBookPros starting in the fall of next year. “Today’s students’ brains are wired for an interactive, engaging learning environment. One-to-one technology will create this environment,” said Jeff Frost, the Director of Education for the Catholic Valley School System. According to Frost, studies have shown that schools using one-to-one technology have increased student engagement significantly. One-to-one technology proves to create an environment that is not simply, “a teacher working and talking
to be able to fall into place for to the class, but teachers and these schools in Waterloo. students using an extra tool A lot of that makes research was class done and more of a there were collaboraalso profestion,” Frost sional develsaid. opment with The the teaching CVCS staff for administraclose to tive team two years, thoroughly including investisummer gated what . technology was best institutes. for student “You engage-Jeff Frost, Director of can’t just ment and Education for CVCS jump in learning and expect and found success without thorough that one-to-one technology professional development of is the most successful tool in your teachers to make sure schools and colleges tool. A lot had to happen for this they have buy-in and the tools
“It is not a trend but a necessity, in our mind, to take students to a higher order of learning and engagement
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necessary to make sure it is successful in the classroom,” Frost said. This year’s professional development for teaching sixth through 12th grade is all geared towards one-to-one technology.” Forty one schools in Iowa are now using the one-toone technology with laptops. Cedar Valley Catholic Schools will now be the 42nd. “It is not a trend but a necessity, in our mind, to take students to a higher order of learning and engagement,” Frost said. Although a good number of schools are making the technological advance, Cedar Falls High School seems to be in no hurry to join the number of one-to-one technology schools in Iowa.
“It has been discussed, but there are no plans at this point [to go one to one], although Netbooks have made it possible because their price is so low,” Traw said. According to Traw, the CFHS student to technology ratio is about three to one but over 95 percent of students have Internet access at home. The district also has concerns about financing the laptops. “If you invest for 1,100 students, you’re talking $550,000. That’s a lot of money,” Traw said. According to Traw, that would force cuts in other places, although she said the computer labs are one thing that could go because students Continued page 2