eb. 9, 1994 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ¢iver Oaks School: how students will learn in the future y RENATA NADEN pecial to the Beaver For many people who spent their hool years studying from textâ€" ooks and encyclopedias, the rospect of using tools such as virâ€" al reality and multimedia to help ildren learn, is a foreign one. But for educators who attended ie recent "Eâ€"3 Conference" at iver Oaks Public School, these eas were floorplans for change in heir own classrooms and school stems. The conference, established to rovide ideas on improving educaâ€" on through the use of technology, tracted people from across North merica including educators from: isconsin, Vermont, Quebec, New runswick, and Nova Scotia. "The point of the conference is share technology and the vision f our school," explained conferâ€" ce coâ€"chair and staff teacher pianne Andrews. "What is availâ€" able for children today is amazing." Operating for four years as a research project â€" supported by the Ontario Ministry of Education â€" the school, led by principal, Gerry Smith, undertook a new learning initiative. Instead of following the tradiâ€" tional method of teaching, Smith took the opportunity to change the way students learn in order to better prepare them for a fasterâ€"paced, computerized future, and workâ€" place. In order to do so, the school‘s curriculum had to be restructured to accommodate learning with comâ€" puters and a wider information base stemming from their use. Four years later, with the help of corporate partners such as Apple Canada Incorporated, Northern Telecom, Bell Canada, and Sony of Canada to name a few, the school has become a completely networked system with a computer/child ratio of one to three. hieves take construction tools Ambitious thieves were busy in the Winston Park Industrial District aturday night, heisting thousands of dollars worth of tools, equipment and Ecreational vehicles. According to Halton Regional Police, the breakâ€"in occurred sometime vernight at the construction trailer and compound on Bristol Circle owned Fusillo Construction. Taken were construction tools, hand tools, chainsaws and other equipâ€" ent worth $8,000. They then stole a variety of landscaping equipment such as two riding ‘actors, a snow blower and a leaf blower worth approximately $25,000. Not yet finished, the thieves took a pair of Skiâ€"Doos â€" a 1994 green rally licence 739 970 and a 1992 white machine licence 718 726. ydro boss at Feb. 23rd Cdn. Club meeting Maurice Strong, Chairman of Ontario Hydro, will be the guest speaker the Feb. 23rd meeting of the Oakville Canadian Club. Strong will speak on ‘The Road from Rio: Toward a Sustainable ture‘. In addition to being Ontario Hydro chairman, Strong was also the ief organizer for the 1992 United Nations‘ conference on the environâ€" ent in Rio de Janeiro. Canadian Club members are encouraged to bring a guest to this meeting nce anyone attending will pay the $18 member fee. The meeting will be held at 6:16 p.m. in the Howard Johnson Hotel on rgus Road. Those interested in attending should make cheques payable to ‘he Canadian Club of Oakville, c/o 307 Robinson St. Box 52148, Oakville nt. L6J 7N5. Any cancellations must be in by noon Fri. Feb. 18th by callâ€" ag 845â€"2862. to Su 1235 TRAFALGAR RD. JUST NORTH OF Q.EMW, Pr/ces in effect frg% Wed . Feb. 9/9 10amâ€"6pm. 845. 800 13/94 We Reserve The Right To Limit oo io +7 Ways to Sayâ€"itâ€" all each greeting stamp comes with 7 different "stickers" to send your personal wish with style on your envelope. Then select a sticker and press it into the white space A book of 10 stamps and 70 stickers for just $4.50 Guardian Drug en W] 1235 TRAFALGAR RD. NORTH OF Q.E.W. P Soeve esnA l in Mgus i oput o. + o Cami us With 1 Stamp†A unique idea... creating your own personal l f 8 postage stamps! For a birthday, wedding, graduation, Easter, a new baby, party * announcement or a celebration of love.. Just peel off the stamp and place it $45â€"0800 I Jl\UTHORlZED FULL SERVICE POSTAl OUTLET @. l expires March 31 1994 In an attempt to share what they have learned with other educators, the staff at the school have hosted the conference two years running. "Because we‘re such a unique school with respect to technology and this really isn‘t going on elseâ€" where, we had to write our own programs to integrate with the techâ€" nology," said alternate conference coâ€"chair John Shewfelt. "The conference is a chance for us to show other people how techâ€" nology can be used in the classâ€" room. These people came here to see how they can use computers in their own classrooms back in their schools." Including such topics as: the educational future of virtual reality; empowering the learner through technology; and technology in mathematics; the conference also included guest speakers involved in the project and impressed with its results. "At the time that Gerry and the people at the Halton Board were putting together the vision of River Oaks, nobody really knew what would happen," explained Gayle Long, Apple Canada‘s national marketing manager for the Education Division. "Nobody knew what children would be able to do and what role teachers would play if you could have this much technoloâ€" gy and make the changes that they were envisioning." Long said that although she believes the River Oaks School is a "wonderful model" for people to come and see, it was not the intenâ€" tion â€" when the plan was put in place â€" to provide an atmosphere to > be recreated elsewhere, but one which would further education as a test site for something new. "The only way we can further technology and understand when we need a change is by watching what people do when they have access to it," she said F CsEwING MACHINE storRe REPAIRS TO SINGER and all other makes models BJ EXPERT PINKING SHEARS | SCISSOR SHARPENING 564 Kerr St. $42â€"2033 ie With Usiat Oaktown Plaza "It‘s a pilot for River Oaks, and it‘s a pilot for us. They give us information about what works and what kinds of things children can do (which) provides feedback that will eventually get back into the system. If we‘re going to be successful in the long run as educators, then we A crowning achievement for any child! A social skills, personality, poise and artzstzt)c/ ability competition for boys and girls, _ ages 6â€"12! 110 Fine Stores and Services Just north of the Q.E.W. and Trafalgar Road. 842â€"2140 have to... learn as much as we can from each other, so we can leapâ€" frog. That‘s what you see happening here." Shewfelt agrees with Long, adding that although the students at River Oaks have been given the advantage of technology at their Ambassador Contest! 1994.1995 S C3 1 _ Young Ambassador Entry Form I | Name E OQMale OFemale J 1 Address : : Postal Code Phone I | _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e * | @AKVILLE DLACT Most people think ere‘s only one way to help the developing world. We have 26. You‘d be surprised at what 26 letters can do for people in developing countries. They can mean food security, good health and job opportunities because they provide knowledge and skills through education. To make a donation, or for more information, call 1â€"800â€"661â€"CODE. e C O D E Selfâ€"sufficiency through literacy in the developing world Registered Charity =039876â€"29â€"10 Saturday, Feb. 12, 1994â€"6:00 p.m. Preliminary Interviews/ Tuesday, Feb. 15, 1994â€"6:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, 1994 6:30â€"8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, 1994 6:30â€"8:30 p.m. fingertips, it is something that will benefit everyone. "Everything has got to have a starting point," Shewfelt says. "With the conference, all this inforâ€" mation is going back to the other kids. What we learn here; we can share with the other schools." Contest ScheputE Entry Deadline Oakville residents only. Meeting (#over 25 entrants) Final Interviews Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1994â€"6:00 p.m. Fitting Rehearsal Team Sports Activity Fashion Show Saturday, Feb. 26, 1994 11:00 a.m.â€"12:30 p.m. Open Mon.â€"Fri. 9:30 am â€" 9 pm Saturdays 9:30 am â€" 6 pm Sundays 12 noon â€" 5 pm