Published: November 07, 2008 02:15 pm      

Not the average chalk board in Utica

Utica to raise money for more ‘smart boards’

IF YOU GO:

• WHAT: Utica Elementary’s Annual Fall Festival

• WHEN: Saturday. The games start at 3:30 p.m. and the live auction starts at 7:30 p.m.

• WHERE: Utica Elementary

• DETAILS: Steak dinners cooked by Texas Roadhouse are $8. Other food includes pizza and hot dogs. There will be carnival games and an inflatable bouncer. There will also be live and silent auctions, featuring an American Girl doll, guitar signed by Willie Nelson, a year of free car washes and more.

• FOR MORE INFORMATION: To donate items for the auctions, contact DeAnna Hall at 812-256-5683.



Put away the chalk and erasers.

The new board wanted in classrooms is a combination of a chalk board with the functionality of a computer.

It seems to be a big hit, at least at Utica Elementary School.

When Renee Hoyland asked her third-graders who wanted to demonstrate how to use their new smart board, as it’s referred to, every student raised their hand.

“Oh please!”

“Pick me!” the students urged, hoping to get chosen.

Hoyland said this new technology is reaching out to each student in the room.

“Even the reluctant learners, they want to be called up there,” she said, looking at the eager faces of her students. “They feel like they’re playing.”

But they’re learning. The Promethean Activboard — its official name — is a large, white board in front of the classroom that resembles a dry-erase board. However, it’s much different. The board works like a touch screen computer, allowing students to surf the Internet, move items around and more with what looks like a pen, but acts as a mouse.

“Actually, it’s pretty cool,” Jacob Porter, 9, said. “It’s fun, because you can make stuff with it and write stuff on it.”

Last year, the school hosted its annual fall festival and raised $15,000. That money, along with money from other fundraisers, was used to buy eight smart boards, according to Lisa Bottorff, PTO president. That equipped the third through fifth grade classrooms with the new technology.

The teachers and parents are now hoping to raise that amount plus some — since one board costs about $3,500 — to give the same boards to those teaching kindergarten through second grade. That adds up to about 11 more boards, Bottorff said.

“We would like to have the same advanced technology,” said Mary Beth Lawson, who teaches second grade. “It helps student interaction and keeping them abreast on the technology so they can compete in society.”

DeAnna Hall, co-chair of the fall festival, said last year’s event brought around 1,000 people to the school. Her goal is for the same to come this year.

The festival will have live and silent auctions, featuring an American Girl doll, a guitar signed by Willie Nelson and more. There will also be games and steak dinners, cooked by those at Texas Roadhouse.

Coyle Chevrolet will also be there, donating $5 for each parent that test drives a car.

Teachers, kids and parents are volunteering to work the event.

“I’m really excited and really want to help out to help the school,” 8-year-old Lauren Hall said, adding that she will probably help with the games.

DeAnna said events like this are becoming more and more important as school budgets get tighter, preventing schools from having the newest technology available.

However, she said the event is more than just a fundraiser.

“Reach out your hand to your neighbor and invite them,” she said. “It’s not all about making money. It’s about bringing everyone together for education for the kids.