Over the past three years, Fairview Park City Schools has undergone many positive changes including new buildings and launching technology techniques.

Examples of new technology in the district:

NetTrekker d.i.
NetTrekker d.i. is an easy-to-use search engine designed for teachers, librarians, students and parents. The search engine provides its users with over 180,000 educator-selected online resources that coincide with the State of Ohio's curriculum standards.

Key Features 
ˇ Customized ELL Content
ˇ Dictionary/Translation Hot Key
ˇ Safe, School-Friendly Image Search
ˇ Dynamic Timeline
ˇ School and Home Access

NetTrecker d.i. Benefits
ˇ Supports teachers and librarians as they                 differentiate their instruction to help every child achieve.
ˇ Increases teacher productivity and effectiveness.
ˇ Increases students' time on task.
ˇ Integrates technology, state standards and curricula into the classroom.
ˇ Matches educator-selected standards-based online resources to individual students' learning needs.
ˇ Educators and students spend less time searching for resources and more time teaching and learning.

Using netTrecker d.i.
Visit www.fairviewparkschools.org. A login box
(above image) is located on the student and staff home pages. Click on the register link and follow the instructions.

"NetTrekker d.i. is a great instructional collaboration, planning, resource locating and curriculum mapping tool," said Fairview Park City School's Director of Technology Mark Kostur. "This tool will help teachers find the best instructional resources for their curriculum that map the the State content standards. It is my belief that every staff member should be trained in NetTrekker d.i."

Visit the district Web site to learn about other technology improvements.

Virtual Field Trip
On Oct. 31, Gilles-Sweet Elementary School fifth-graders watched the release of bats from the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico via a virtual-field trip online. Students were able to participate in a live chat with the experts from the Carlsbad Caverns.

Carlsbad Cavern is a sanctuary for about 1 million Mexican Freetail bats. During the day they crowd together on the ceiling of Bat Cave, a passageway near the natural entrance of Carlsbad Cavern. Only scientific researchers see them In their darkened home. At nightfall, the bats leave the cave in gigantic swarms.

Video Conference
At Gilles-Sweet Elementary School, Mary Salco's third grade class participated in the first ever video conference in the district. The topic of the interactive distance learning enrichment program was camouflage, which third grade students are studying in their Science classes. Lisa Pride presented from the Education Service Center at Greenbush located in Girard, Kansas.