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    Home » Sedona Community Foundation Modernizes Classroom Technology Infrastructure of Local Charter School
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    Sedona Community Foundation Modernizes Classroom Technology Infrastructure of Local Charter School

    October 27, 2014No Comments4 Mins Read
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    logo_sedonacommunityfoundationBy Alice Madar, Director of Finance and Administration, Sedona Charter School

    Sedona AZ (October 27, 2014) – Last year, Sedona Charter School was facing a major challenge: preparing for online state testing. The school’s single Internet connection was insufficient even for basic educational programs—the system would crash or freeze on a near-daily basis—and the classroom computers were outdated and unreliable. Without outside support, the upgrades required to accommodate Arizona’s 2015 mandate to conduct standardized testing online seemed like a financial impossibility.

    The Sedona Community Foundation stepped in to help, awarding the tuition-free Montessori school a $7,500 grant for technology upgrades. With that funding and $4,000 from the Sedona 30, Sedona Charter School was able to grow and enhance its classroom technology, transforming the school. 

    Before the grant, the school’s Internet connection was comparable to that of a typical household in the year 2000, with a 5 Mbps connection and one point of access. This meant only the classrooms closest to the access point would have a strong signal. Today, the school is equipped with a 28 Mbps connection and multiple access points for a strong signal in each classroom. Bruce Fraser, the school’s technology specialist, oversaw the technology improvements.

    “More bandwidth means more kids on the network at the same time for greater flexibility and fluidity of instruction, which is so important in our individualized learning environment,” Fraser said.

    In addition to the network improvements, the school purchased 31 Chromebooks and 6 iPads, and upgraded 15 of its existing computers. Classrooms for foreign language instruction now have headsets and interactive learning software, and the school’s 140 students have access to 70 fully functioning computers. Fraser has also observed that the improved Internet connection allows teachers to more frequently and effectively incorporate existing classroom technology, like SMART Boards, into daily instruction.

    In most schools in Arizona, technology upgrades would be purchased through the school’s budget, but charter schools in Arizona rely on community support for such improvements. Sedona Charter School receives the standard allocation—approximately $6,000 per pupil—from the Arizona Department of Revenue to support educational operations, but the school must develop its own funds for capital expenses like classroom technology.

    Technology Enables All Students’ Progress

    The expansion of the school’s technological offerings benefits students at all grade levels. In first- through third-grade classrooms, students use iPad applications tailored for early learners to supplement studies in math and language in alignment with traditional Montessori methods. They also work extensively with robotics applications. 

    In fourth through eighth grades, students use the online Rosetta Stone program for much of their Spanish language instruction.

    “We chose this program because it allows the teacher to monitor each student’s progress and make adjustments as necessary,” says Jenn Jordan, the middle school principal educator.

    Middle school teachers are also using Kahn Academy and a variety of other interactive math software to help build skills specifically targeted for individual students.

    Parents are benefitting as well. The network upgrades allow students and parents to track progress on the school’s database. For the first time, students can submit papers to their teachers online and create multimedia presentations to deliver final reports.

    Bill Baker, principal educator for grades four through six, says the difference is not only drastic, but necessary.

    “Because our students work independently with an individualized, self-paced curriculum, they need to be able to access information and technology throughout the school day,” he said. “Last year, it was very difficult to use technology effectively, because the Internet connection was unreliable and most of our computers did not have the capability to accommodate modern applications.”

    He said valuable instruction time intended for presenting online lessons would be spent troubleshooting and then rushing to cover the same material. Students would have limited access to computers to conduct online research or use different programs designed to hone their reading and math skills, and once at the computer, they would be hindered by lagging Internet speeds.

    “To put it simply, they can learn so much more when they don’t have to wait for a computer—or for the Internet,” he said.

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    Paid Political Ad Paid For by Samaire for Mayor
    Paid Political Ad for Samaire Armstrong
    Paid Political Announcement by Samaire For Mayor

     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong

    Sedona elections
    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Ready to Rumble

    By Tommy Acosta
    In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong, however withstood a blistering smear campaign from the other opposing candidates and their supporters to make it to the final bout with 967 votes under her belt (30.73%), an amazing feat for a political newcomer. Unfortunately, for the other two candidates, Kurt Gehlbach and sitting mayor Sandy Moriarty, neither put up enough of a fight to make it to the championship bout. Read more→
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