Technology Award Presented to Howell BOE

At the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 17, Superintendent Enid Golden presented the board with an award that all members and several members of the crowd in attendance were happy to recieve.  For the sixth time, the Howell Township Public School District was named one of the top districts in the country for their use of technology.

When the award winners were named this year the district placed at the very top of the medium sized districts nationwide. The award was broken up into three categories, large schools, with an enrollment of 15000 or more, medium which ranged from 2,500 to 14,999 and small schools which have enrollments of under 2500.

The study is underwritten by several companies and organizations including Microsoft, e.Republic's Center for Digital Education, the National School Boards Association and Converge Magazine. It looks at how the districts use the technology to bolster curriculum, help students and help the district to operate.

Dr. Golden said was very happy to be able to bring the good news to the board. "I am very proud of the district for obtaining this award," she said. "When our technology referendum was approved by the community in 1999 we promised that the technology purchased would go to good use. The attainment of this award indicates that we have kept our commitment to the community."

According to a press release issued by the district, some uses of technology the board incorporates include the Parent Portal which allows families access to information about their children's time in the classroom. That includes assignments, grades, attendance and emergency contact information.

The reach into technology extends well beyond the classroom and into the community. The release points out that on the district's website, www.howell.k12.nj.us, there is easy access to several key information points including agendas, minutes a full calendar and budget information. This past year alone the district reported nearly 800,000 visitors to the website and close to 11,000 subscribers to their informative listserv.

In the classroom there are plenty of opportunities to use the technology, including classes in robotics, computer programming and video game production at the middle school level.

"We are continuing to explore and incorporate free web-based tools, as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing expensive software, and a way to extend our learning environment" said Howell Township's Supervisor of Instructional Technology Claire Engle. "The limitless web tools that are available provide our students and staff with digital resources that they can utilize outside the school walls."

Dr. Golden also said that while the accolade was much appreciated, the district is not done yet using technology to its fullest potential. "I realize we still have a long way to go in preparing our students to be successful in a global environment," she said. "The rapidly changing world puts us in the unique position of preparing our students for careers that may not even exist today. The goal is a moving target and we need to stay vigilant and focused as we pursue it."

She concluded by saying, "I am thankful that the board and the community see the merits in continuing to upgrade our district technology."