Groton Board of Education Considers 21st Century Curriculums

The Groton Board of Education focused on the coming academic year Monday night by approving curriculums that integrate technology into the classroom.

Technology set the tone for the evening early on, with board member Chaz Zezulka conferencing in via phone to allow for a quorum.

Among the courses discussed was Chemistry in the Community, which meets state goals for 11th and 12th grade and includes live, online and interactive labs.

The program also introduces students to real world scenarios that affect communities.

“The first unit theme is water—solving a community problem like a fish kill,” said a Fitch High School chemistry teacher. “[It’s] so similar to Groton Utilities that it’s a great way to get started.”

The live lab links, connected to the class textbook, will be housed in Fitch High School's network drive, where files can be shared, updated, and integrated into lesson plans.

“This is really the first step in getting rid of those three-ring binders that collect dust,” said Mary Ann Butler, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Chemistry in the Community has no impact on the 2011-12 academic year budget.

A similar program for 10th grade biology was also introduced. The program, Butler said, makes it easier for students to follow the subject and helps them understand biology's more abstract concepts.

The board also heard an update on initiatives being piloted in Groton elementary and middle schools.

The Glencoe Math Program, a product of The McGraw-Hill companies, is an online subscription with a textbook that students and teachers can access at home and school. The $80,000 program uses interactive whiteboards in classrooms and garnered an 87 percent approval rating from teachers during its pilot year in Groton middle schools.

In its final minutes, the Groton school board voted on wages and salaries, upholding pay to substitute teachers at $85 to $90 a day, a standard set in the 2009-10 academic year.