Since we arrived late to the airport, just after the plane boarded, we expected the JetBlue counter person to be at least a little snarky. Instead he smiled and said we just made it. He even helped us carry our bags to security to make sure we wouldn’t have to wait too long. Yes, he was probably just making sure the plane could leave on time, but he was so polite about it, it felt more like he was concerned about us.

We wizzed through security, got on the plane, and it was quiet. All the passengers looked strangely content.

In past experiences, perhaps because we always fly coach, the other passengers were usually fidgeting and had some degree of impatient uncomfortable scowl on their faces while they waited for take-off. What made this flight different? Ah, the pacifiers. Each seat has its own screen with DirecTV! The 36 free channels include ESPN, CNN, and my son’s favorite, Cartoon Network. On longer flights, passengers can pay $6 for new release movies. JetBlue did win the Cabin Ambiance category in the APEX Passenger Choice Awards.
 
Snacks were served shortly after take-off. They were tasty and free and served with a smile.

The flight attendants were just as friendly as the first JetBlue representative we met at the airport. They seemed relaxed and happy to be there. Smiling throughout their graceful pre-flight demonstration of how to use the flotation device and oxygen mask in case we plummeted to the ground.

Thankfully we didn’t need to practice that ourselves. It was a great overall experience and as close to first class as you can get for a round trip flight from Portland to Southern California for under $200.


Best of Blue
Free first bag
Free tasty and organic snack choices
Flight attendants who smile
Pilots who warn us about turbulence and assure us we will be fine
Watching TV while flying through the sky

But the district is staying focused on its 2020 Vision to ensure that “classrooms at all levels integrate technology into the instructional program.”

Superintendent Rob Hess said the goal for next year in regards to technology “is to increase access” through the Bring Your Own Network Device (BYOND) that was part of the 2020 Vision recommendation.

The thought behind that recommendation is that BYOND will provide opportunities to bring more technology into the schools and lower the ratio of students to technology devices such as computers, PDAs, and more.

Hess said this would require a shift in thinking about technology in the classroom,“seeing it not as a distraction but as a tool.”

Some teachers have already started successful implementation of different technologies in the classroom.

Social studies teacher David Meek, uses his staff page at Seven Oak Middle School to support students.

“I’ve had over 1,300 hits on my site since the beginning of the school year,” Meek said.

“Since only 300 are for checking homework assignments, the majority of my website visits are for access to the resources that I make available, such as multiplication flash cards for math, 3-D shapes, or even interactive historical games for my social studies classes.”

Meek uses technology in the classroom as well.

In a recent lesson on World War I, Meek had a power point presentation up while he lectured.

He also passed a book called “Europe at War”around the room. “Because it was written while the war was proceeding, it makes an excellent primary source to share with the students. That and they love the pictures,” Meek said. 

After about 10 minutes of lecture, Meek had the students split up into groups to decode a portion of the telegram that led to the U.S. involvement in the war.

Each group used a computer-based reference to crack the code.

“Artifacts, like technology, make history seem more alive to students because it’s something they can hold in their hands and interact with. That’s the key to getting students engaged in the classroom,” Meek said.

This sort of hands-on approach is also what teacher Lisa Richard has found successful with her second grade students at Pioneer.

Richard said there is an overall “increased engagement and classroom excitement” when using technology in the classroom.

Her 7-year-old students learn the functional aspects of technology like using keyboards, and clicking and dragging files.

“The wireless keyboard makes its way around our room as students are eager to have their turn to share knowledge,” Richard said.

“Hard copy documents become large scale manipulatives that, in a matter of seconds, allow students to write, highlight, and draw on, thus increasing the learning opportunity,” Richard said.

And they also use technology to experience a more personal connection to their lessons than they would get in a text book.

“We have ‘flown’ to other parts of our world on the big screen and we have had a birds-eye-view of our pen pals’ home in Alaska,” Richard said.

The in-class technology engages the students, and the teachers are learning new things, too. 

The process of bringing more technology into the classroom would also involve “training teachers for more digital content,” Hess said.

“As for next year, it is my goal to continually find ways to use the technology to increase student learning, motivation, and excitement in school.  I am learning right alongside my students, as I have never had the reputation of being tech savvy, and I could not be more thrilled with our progress!” Richard said.

Lebanon High School science teacher Chris St. Germaine, on the hand, started posting his lectures to YouTube about a year and half ago. This provides additional support outside of school hours that students can access at any time.

“The idea is that you can go to my site, pick one thing you don’t understand, download a worksheet for it, watch me lecture it, and then watch me do and explain the worksheet,” St. Germaine said.

St. Germaine doesn’t track which students use this resource but “parents seem to love it and really appreciate it.” He said his “videos have almost 11,000 views, but not necessarily from LHS students.”

Paul Aziz, who designed a Christmas display last year for his front yard, decided to create a Fourth of July show.

Aziz and partner Dawn Sutherland are putting on the display to honor U.S. troops, veterans and fallen heroes.

“After we decided to do it, it took us about three weeks to make the flag,” Sutherland said. Aziz and Southerland painted the flag and installed 3,200 lights in it by hand.

“We can’t just have the flag,” he said.

In addition to the centerpiece, the display includes stars and a 10-foot lighted structure resembling fireworks. Sutherland also created other elements to the display, such as a woodcut eagle holding the American flag.

Aziz’s brother Steve Aziz and friend George Cawrse, who helped set up the Christmas display, also helped with the Fourth of July display.

Aziz operates Paul’s Computer Repair out of his home. The computer programmer used Light-o-Rama to design a light show synchronized with patriotic music. The songs can be played from your car by tuning into 100.9 FM. The program includes eight songs and is set to last approximately 14 minutes.

Thursday morning Melissa Hite sent an email to supporters of the co-op with the news. She included the letter she sent to LBCC administration.

“Due to what I feel is a great deal of misinformation over the past couple of weeks, and the instability of keeping a room for any amount of time, we have decided to end our fight for a choice at PCDC,” Hite said in her letter to administration.

The group of parents and students has been working since February to save the co-op program at the Periwinkle Child Development Center, but has received conflicting information about how to go about it.

As it turns out, “Head Start is the sole tenant of the building in the contract,” Jo O’Leary, director of Kidco Head Start, said.

“We will continue to have adult classes in the room where adult classes are currently held. The classes will be through LBCC, but it will be a coordinated effort with Head Start (in terms of scheduling). If our program expands, that will have to become office space too,” O’Leary said.

Regardless, initial conversations with LBCC President Greg Hamann seemed promising. In a February meeting with the group, Hamann said he was “never absolutely closed to anything.”

Mel Hite and other parents wanting to continue the co-op had several other meetings with Hamann, Beth Hogeland, dean of liberal arts, social systems and human performance, Carol Schaafsma, executive vice president, academic affairs and workforce development, and Jim Huckestein, vice president, finance and operations.

In spite of this communication, the group of parents were still unsure about exactly how much money they needed to secure in order to keep the co-op open.

To gain some clarity on what was needed, on March 16, LBCC education student Lori Brunker presented the LBCC Board of Education with a letter requesting “information we have yet been unable to acquire through inquiring verbally or in writing to members of the administration and staff of Linn-Benton Community College.”

Hamann responded the next day via email by attaching a link to the 184-page budget and saying that he has “tried to be consistent in describing the ‘savings’ resulting from the discontinuation of LBCC operation of the PCDC as approximately $200,000 annually.”

They tried different approaches, including an optional student fee, for which in March they collected signatures of support from students who did not have children in the program. “In an effort to prevent the proliferation of fees – an effort that has been largely successful here at LBCC – we require that the fee assessment be closely tied to the service provided, and to those to whom it is provided,” Hamann responded via email.

The parents continued to seek ways to save even a portion of the program, last month suggesting keeping one room of the PCDC for use as a child care co-op, but ran into obstacles relating to what exactly they need and who makes the decisions.

Indeed, in the process of gathering information for this article, there was conflicting information regarding who actually is in charge of making the final decisions.

Hite’s point person throughout the process of trying to save the PCDC has been Beth Hogeland.

“That doesn’t happen at my level,” Hogeland said last Wednesday when asked about the decision-making process.

But Hamann said, last Tuesday, that it does. “While I may need to give my “blessing” to it, this decision as to whether we can do this, want to do this, and if this is in the best interests of all who we serve will be made by Beth Hogeland and Carol Schaafsma, our executive vice president for instruction,” Hamann said.

“My best guess about that is that he probably doesn’t know what to do with conversations that are ideas,” Hogeland said. “I ask for things. I get an answer.”

What’s next: Hite ended her letter to PCDC co-op supporters on positive note: “Our parent group is still pulling together to start a new co-op off campus.  I will keep everyone updated on our progress.  Over the summer updates will be made to our website pcdcfriends.wordpress.com”

A panel of 11 representatives spoke about the upcoming changes and took questions from the crowd of 10.

Starting in Fall 2011, Kidco Head Start will take over the PCDC facility, eliminating the co-op and reducing operating hours. Though an official contract has not yet been signed, Head Start expects to be on campus for a minimum of 10 years.

Beth Hogeland, dean of liberal arts, social systems and human performance, opened the meeting. Hogeland acknowledged the difficulty of letting go of the PCDC.

“Because the mission of the college is educating adults, a lot of the support systems took the hit.”

Hogeland said because LBCC and Head Start have worked together for eight years, LBCC presented them with a proposal in an effort to keep some services available to students.

Head Start seeks to “provide a comprehensive early child development program that supports children and families,” its mission statement says.

Beyond pre-school, Head Start offers assistance in obtaining health insurance and provides speech, hearing and vision screening. They also do home visits.

The program has options for parent involvement as well, though that is not a requirement for enrollment.

Jo O’Leary, Director of Kidco Head Start, said that having a lab school would benefit Head Start by allowing them to train their teachers as well serve LBCC students.

Since Head Start can only serve pre-school-aged children, the kindergarten will be closed at the end of spring term.

Parents who wish to enroll their children in Head Start pre-school in the fall can apply now. Families must meet certain income requirements for eligibility and LBCC students will be given priority. Applications are available online and in the Family Connections office on the Albany campus.

Students who attended the meeting expressed concern about fitting classes in to the limited time available for child care. The panel suggested night and online classes as an alternative, but many single parents would still need to find child care.

With the other cuts LBCC has made affecting class availability, students may need to find alternatives for their degree requirements.Chemeketa Community College in Salem and Lane Community College in Eugene also offer online courses that could help students fill the gap. Additionally, Oregon State now offers 11 bachelor’s degrees through its e-campus.

For more information on Head Start visit their website here.

Education Student Lori Brunker distributes letters at the Board meeting Wednesday at LBCC.

Tuesday, March 15, Melissa Hite and the parents working to keep the PCDC program running met with LBCC President Greg Hamann and administration to present an alternative plan for the program.

That Wednesday’s Board meeting came before Hamann’s response to the group’s proposal. LBCC education student Lori Brunker presented a letter to the board in which she expressed her discontent at how this situation has been handled so far.

Brunker distributed copies of the letter to each board member and Hamann. She then read it aloud.

She said the letter served as “a written request for information we have yet been unable to acquire through inquiring verbally or in writing to members of the administration and staff of Linn Benton Community College.”

Though an altered form of the program is set to continue through a partnership with Head Start, an organization Bunker respects and hopes to work for, she said that she is concerned about the quality of education for the students who currently use the PCDC to fulfill their practicum.

Hamann responded Thursday via email to both the funding proposed by Hite in Tuesday’s meeting and the requests presented by Brunker at Wednesday’s board meeting.

He said that Hite “and the other PCDC parents have…had a significant positive impact on (his) thinking regarding the future of the PCDC” and expressed his hope that they will continue to contribute their efforts in shaping the partnership with Head Start.

In regards to the budget information, Hamannn provided this link to the 184-page budget. “This document is long and it is not always easy to extract certain specific fiscal data, such as the information you have been seeking.  Therefore, I have tried to be consistent in describing the “savings” resulting from the discontinuation of LBCC operation of the PCDC as approximately $200,000 annually, and I believe that Jim Huckestein has giving you similar information.  I still believe this number is accurate, or accurate enough for our purposes” Hamann said.

He listed several possible alternatives to closing the PCDC and “explain(ed) why I don’t believe any of them are satisfactory:”

1. 3^rd Party Donations – While useful for capital projects (a new building, a new playground, new furniture, etc), this funding strategy does not work well for supporting on-going operations.  Our own historical experience with trying to raise funding for PCDC scholarships is evidence of this.  In addition, developing this type of financial support takes time – typically years – and this is time that we do not have.

2. Increased User Fee – We talked about this Tuesday and I think we agreed that the user fee increases necessary to make up the $200,000 gap would make the PCDC services financially inaccessible to the very people who need it most.

3. General Student Fee – Again, as we talked about on Tuesday, many of us believe that assessing a fee on ALL students in order to provide PCDC services for a relatively small minority is inconsistent with the principles we have historically used to develop and monitor fees.  In an effort to prevent the proliferation of fees – an effort that has been largely successful here at LBCC – we require that the fee assessment be closely tied to the service provided, and to those to whom it is provided.  A second concern I have with this approach is that it would indirectly shift the burden for closing our budget gap in a direction that disproportionately affects students.  To maintain our commitment to solving 60% of the budget gap with cost reductions, we cannot turn to increased students fees for a solution.  A proposed $7/credit increase is already more than what we would like to burden our students with.

Hamann did not confirm if the partnership with Head Start is official, but said “we have committed ourselves to the process of forming this partnership.”
Hite is undeterred: “I am not done fighting for us, and have already started my process for our next moves.”

LBCC Student Government is going to the capitol Thursday, March 24 to speak on the proposed Pell Grant cuts and they asked Hite and other students who use the PCDC to join them.

Danielle Hanni, a student who uses PCDC for child care, passes out ribbons and donuts in Takena Hall as she encourages other students to sign a petition supporting the center. Mothana Al-Zabidi, a chemistry major, signs up for what he says is a worthy cause.

Two Locations: Takena Hall and outside the AI Building

When: Wed. March 9 – Mon. March 14

Wednesday afternoon Friends of Periwinkle Childcare Development Center posted this request on their facebook  page:

“Everyone has been very supportive of us. Around campus people are being so supportive, and asking what they can do to help. This is it. How much would you actually be willing to help? For the price of a coffee each term you could keep our center open. We have to have the signitures to present to the committee on Tue. This will be the main thing that will keep our education program going at the quality we are nationally recognized for, and keep our family out here together. We have tables set up in Takena hall, and outside of the IA building. We don’t have set times, just as our parents and students can man them. We will have tables out today, tomorrow, and Monday. Thank you everyone for your support.”

Mel Hite, LBCC student and organizer in the effort to save the PCDC, said the visit went well.

“The kids and Dr. Hamann are the ones that educated me. I stood back and looked from a different point of view. I didn’t have to do a lot of explaining, it was obvious how the classes worked as a system,” Hite said.

Co-op members value the education they receive through mandatory parenting classes as well as the care their children receive at the PCDC.

LBCC education students value the program too.

Education students benefit from being able to conveniently fulfill their practicum requirement. “For me its really helpful because I don’t have a car. It allows me to do my practicum on campus,” said Ricky Zipp, an education major at LBCC.

On-campus practicum also creates an invaluable connection between parents and education students. “I’ve had classes with their parents. Parents come in and help. It’s more of a personal experience,” Zipp said.

The students hoping to maintain PCDC services will be meeting with administration again on March 15.

Students and alumni – If you have a story about how the PCDC program has helped you, here are three ways you can share it:

1. Comment on this article on The Commuter Website

2. Comment here

3. Comment on the Friends of Periwinkle Childcare Development Center facebook page

But the essence of The DREAM Act remains.