By Dr. Annette Weissman, Principal SIB Community School

Wow! The crowd at orientation was overwhelming. We held three sessions on Saturday, August 16 so parents could meet the staff and visit the school. The excitement was contagious as families had their very first opportunity to walk the grounds and admire their beautiful new facility. “This school is just beautiful.” was a popular refrain as parents and students arrived in the cafeteria. One resource that was not readily visible is the extensive state-of-the-art technology available to our students.

Each classroom has five computers and an interactive white board which enables the teachers to bring the internet and all its wonders into the classroom. Parents often ask me how they can use technology to support teaching and learning in their homes.

First, parents should bookmark two favorite sites – the school’s website and the District’s website. Checking these sites regularly will guarantee that you have the most current information. SIBCS’s calendar is updated regularly so you should check that often. You should also bookmark the District websites that enable students to practice basic skills in mathematics, reading, and science. These sites can be accessed through the school website or directly at www.fcatexplorer.com and http://riverdeep.dadeschools.net. Teachers will distribute a special user ID and Password to the students for FCAT Explorer, but they only need their Student ID# to log into Riverdeep.

Parents can also use technology to monitor their children’s progress in school. After you create an account on the parent portal, you can monitor your child’s academic performance, attendance, and home learning assignments. You can even arrange to receive emails if the child’s grades drop. Some of the teachers also host their own websites where they post home learning assignments, special projects, and information about their classrooms.

Did you know there are free typing programs online as well as sites for reference materials, dictionaries and a thesaurus that would be wonderful for your children? You can access many of these resources through the District site. Need synonyms and antonyms for a spelling assignment? Try www.dictionary.com and your task will be easier.

The world of technology is a fast paced phenomenon that presents new opportunities every day, but also poses some problems. Parents should carefully and closely monitor their child’s online activities and establish guidelines for computer use in their homes. These and other technology topics will be featured at parent workshops throughout the year. Please make every effort to stay informed by attending all the parent workshops and logging on to http://sib.dadeschools.net.