Connecting to the Classroom with Tech

From email to e-newsletters, Blackboard to e-books at the library, tech tools are very much a part of the back-to-school equation

Back to school 2012 is a bit different than in earlier years. While some things will always be handled via paper and pen, technology tools are helping to make sure that parents are informed on the issues big and small. Here are a few ways that FCPS and your child's teacher will use technology to keep in touch and provide resources to help your child learn. KIT and KIT-Plus KIT (Keep in Touch) and KIT-Plus are the e-newsletter services that provide up-to-the-minute information for the public on school delays or closings, emergencies, information about FCPS programs and news stories. Parents, students and employees are automatically enrolled via their contact information provided to the schools. Parents and community members can also select …

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Jean Westcott

12:10 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012

PWCS uses Parent Portal http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=238543&sessionid=5844061c42bd4282795b048fe16a0901 and PWCS e-news http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/493839/File/FAQs/Sign%20up%20online%20for%20PWCS%20Enews.pdf . One major difference in the two school divisions is that PWCS allows you to access grades.   more ›

Tech Trends

Technology for Your Family Tree

Discover who you are — be a digital detective!

Hello to the dog days of summer. Maybe you can squeeze in a long weekend at a reasonably priced location before Labor Day. But where to go? Why the relatives' of course! Grandparents, mom and dad, aunts and uncles and cousins, the siblings? If your family is large and relatives live a distance from each other, the chance to attend your family reunion may still be ahead. Go! Even though it may be inconvenient to arrange, go. These opportunities are few. Relatives of all ages gather to catch up, tell the family stories, recount jokes and embarrassing moments, eat ridiculous amounts of food and cement the bonds that hold families together. Have you noticed how those family stories get embellished with the re-telling? But what about all the …

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Kids' Books Weekly

Honoring Native Americans in Literature

Well chosen children's literature is an effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and teach cultural respect.

"There are plenty of "good" books -- well-written, exciting, from respected authors, much-loved by their readers, with well-developed characters -- that are inaccurate, stereotypical, fanciful, or just plain dehumanizing in their depiction of the Native characters," write Naomi Caldwell, Gabriella Kaye and Lisa Mitten in I is for Inclusion.  Yet curriculum writers Guy Jones and Sally Moomaw say, "... with the possible exception of classroom visits by American Indian people, excellent children's literature is the most effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and help children focus on similarities among peoples as well as cultural differences." How can parents, teachers and caregivers know which books to choose?  In honor of Native …

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2010 Fall for the Book Author Event: Sandra Burt and Linda Perlis

Parenting experts and radio show hosts bring tips and advice to the the festival

Authors Sandra Burt and Linda Perlis spoke at Burke Centre Library on Thursday afternoon about a topic many in the area have a personal stake in -- parenting. In particular, the two authors, who also host a weekly syndicated radio show titled Parents' Perspective, discussed two of their books as a part of the 2010 Fall for the Book Festival. The talk, which attracted a number of parents and grandparents was broken into two portions. The first portion of their discussion focused on Burt and Perlis' city guide, Washington DC with Kids, which is now in its 5th edition. Burt opened the discussion with a question, "What have been your problems with taking your children to visit the city?" The response from the audience brought questions and …

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2010 Fall for the Book Author Event: Robert Poole

Author Robert Poole presented a history of Arlington National Cemetery at Kings Park Library on Wednesday.

In the meeting room of Kings Park Library on Burke Lake Road, people filed in to hear a talk from Robert Poole, author and editor of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery. The presentation, a part of the 2010 Fall for the Book Festival, brought in a large crowd eager to hear the author's presentation on the history and saga behind the historic landmark. Poole, a veteran writer and editor for National Geographic, began his presentation by taking a quick audience poll of who has been to Arlington and who has attended funeral services at the cemetery. Of the approximately 70 people in attendance, a majority of them raised their hands.  This brief poll emphasized the impact the historical landmark has on this country. "I…

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