LHS Progams on Display for State Officials During Bus Tour

Loganville High School was on display for the state last week after being chosen as one of the schools selected for this year’s Bus Trip Across Georgia by Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. LHS was a stop on the 20^th annual bus tour after being nominated as one of 10 schools that had something beneficial to contribute to this year’s theme for the tour - “Georgia’s Public Schools: Using Technology, Creating Pathways for Student Success.”

Although LHS’s step into digital technology is still on the cusp, with plans by next year to put an iPad in the hands of each student, visiting officials were still impressed with what they saw. Commissioner Bobby Cagle with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning said it was the first time he had seen students use texting in the classroom. During an observation tour of the classrooms, Cagle and other officials saw students use cell phones to text their opinions in during a discussion group.

“That is the first time I’ve seen that in a classroom and it shows how technology is being used to engage the students in learning with something they use in their everyday life,” Cagle said, adding he was also impressed with the way classes at LHS used a lot of small group learning sessions. “It is proven that students learn better when they are engaged instead of just being lectured to on a topic. It was good to see here that they had students engaged in these small groups. It’s more interactive.”

The early childhood education class at LHS with preschoolers taught by students was another program that impressed Cagle. Georgia Rep. Amy Carter, a teacher from Lowndes County and another member of the bus tour traveling with students from her county, said she would love to see a similar program implemented in her district. The students from Lowndes County are engaged in early childhood classes in their district. Although they have occasion to visit preschools during the course of their lessons, they do not have a preschool on the property, as is the case with LHS. The preschoolers from LHS were already released by the time officials and the visiting students toured classrooms, but they were able to see some of the LHS students prepare for classes with the preschoolers.

“That is a great program. You see here students have the opportunity to do hands on work that is applicable to a profession after they get out of high school, as with the children in the childcare classroom,” Cagle said. That’s always something that is good to see.”

The bus tour also included two of Georgia’s technical colleges: Lanier Technical College, Oakwood campus, and Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville.

The annual Bus Trip for Excellence in Education began in 1993 and includes a combination of educators, business, government and community leaders from around the state. Schools selected as Bus Trip 20 stops have shown “an ability to use technology to enhance learning, increase access, and to create opportunities to build the professional development of students and teachers alike,” a press release noted.

Visit the Partnership web site (www.gpee.org – Annual Bus Trip page) for more information.