A strong proponent of the power of technology to assist both students and educators, Portales Junior High eighth-grade teacher Ginger Golden recently spoke to HotChalk about how technology is working for her. Due to a one-to-one learning pilot project Portales is launching, 85-90 percent of seventh and eighth grade students have their own personal laptop for the year. Golden is excited about how the technology enables “teachable moments” and encourages critical thinking skills. “If something comes up, we can just get on the Internet right away and go deeper,” she says.

Gloria Yakes has been using the HotChalk Learning Management System with her sixth through eighth-graders for the last two years. She registers all her students on MyClasses, which allows her to distribute assignments and have the students submit them back to her online. Formerly, Yakes says she had to go from computer to computer to view each student’s electronic file, or even have them copy their work to a floppy disc.

Kerry Rice, Orchestra Director
West Brook High School, Beaumont ISD
Beaumont, TX

At West Brook High School in Texas, orchestra director Kerry Rice kicks off the school year by taking his students to the computer lab and having them register on HotChalk. “It’s an amazing tool for fine arts,” he says. “Teachers and administrators can upload images, audio and video---and it can all be streamed from anywhere.”

Nine-year teaching veteran Stacion Dorrant takes advantage of the full range of HotChalk Learning Environment features to save herself five to ten hours a week with her students. She posts class assignments, emails students about upcoming events and quizzes and encourages them to go on HotChalk to keep on top of missing work. “It’s a blessing,” says Dorrant, who uses the application with her ethnically diverse student population at the all-girl Maria High School in Chicago. “Students are always aware of what’s happening in class and can play an active role in their learning.”

1. Name, Title, School, District, City and State
   
   
2. What classes/grades do you teach?
   
   
3. How long have you been an educator?
   
   
4. How do you use HotChalk ( details and specifics are great)
   
   
5. About how much time a week does it save you?
   
   
6. What are your favorite things about it?
   
   
7. How has it affected  Parent-Teacher communication?
   
   
8. What problems has it helped you solve?
   
   
9. What tips would you give to others using it or to those who haven’t tried it yet?
   
   
10. Last words? (may use as a quote)