MASD Steps into the 21st Century

A Showcase of Skills and Instruction Monday, April 6, 200912:30-3:00 pm

Beginning in the Meyersdale High School Auditorium

Join Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Gerald Zahorchak and the Meyersdale Area School District on Monday April 6, 2009 in a showcase featuring the efforts of our teachers and students as they work to discover the reality of education in the 21st Century. The challenges that have been placed on education in recent years are unprecedented. Students are expected to perform on comprehensive assessments that expect all students to perform at an incredibly high academic level in all three “R’s”; Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. The sheer volume of content teachers are expected to cover permits little time for anything beside a “teaching to the test” atmosphere. All research suggests that our youngsters need to be prepared for a world that is unknown by even the most studious of prophets. Technology has caused an information explosion that has multiplied the availability of knowledge and magnified the importance of application. Schools meet regularly with business leaders who stress the importance of a different set of ‘R’s’ that are not tested; Reasoning, Resilience, and Responsibility. Yet schools have become more regimented in their approach to meet with the demands of the highest levels of testing in the history of public education.
MASD is committed to these challenges. The purpose of the showcase is to provide students and staff with the opportunity to explore the link between authentic learning and standardized education. A variety of staff and student presentations will be selected to share with all members of our educational community through a variety of methods. Technology has played a major role in the transformation the school is experiencing. As a result, many teachers and students will be presenting on the additional element brought by the infusion of these tools into the classrooms. The Classrooms for the Future and Enhancing Education Through Technology grant projects will be modeled. Thirty-five interactive whiteboards, over one hundred new laptops, four hundred classroom response pods, and countless scanners, digital cameras, digital video cameras, and webcams will be utilized to present the evolving MASD to the community.
Place the following on your calendar so you don’t miss this opportunity to explore the reality of a 21st Century education and show your support for the efforts of the district’s teachers and students.
What: MASD Steps into the 21st Century – A Showcase of Skills and Instruction
When: Monday April 6, 2009 from 12:30-3:00 pm
Where: Beginning in the high school auditorium

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to explore education in the 21st Century and show your support to the students and staff of MASD!!

Be certain to check back to this site frequently for updates on the event!!