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Local News

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Weekend: Pandora-Gilboa, Verizon team up for 'The Socrates Project'
By DENISE GRANT

Staff Writer

PANDORA -- While most high schools have policies and punishments for students who use their cell phones in class, Pandora-Gilboa High School is outfitting a classroom of students with the new BlackBerry Storm Smartphone, as part of "The Socrates Project."

The project and proposal to Verizon Wireless is the brainchild of Gene Lloyd, a high school technology teacher.

The Storm, which gives mobile users access to e-mail, phone, data, applications, games and the Internet, is the perfect fit for a class that teaches students to ask the "how, how to and why questions," according to school officials.

Students in the "Tech for the 21st Century" will have use of a fully connected BlackBerry Storm for the school year.

Laura Merritt, a spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless, said mobile technology is driving the marketplace of the future. In that global marketplace, workers are given more responsibility and are expected to contribute more to productivity and innovation. It also requires flexibility in dealing with complex problems.

School officials say students need to understand the "anywhere, anytime, at any pace" platform and its use in entrepreneurial skills, research, communication, collaboration and presentation skills.

So valuable, in fact, that President Barack Obama argued to keep his BlackBerry when elected.

Merritt said teens take to the technology like "fish to water. It is really quite amazing to watch. Give these phones to a teen and even younger, and they will figure out every aspect of the phone, very quickly."

Merritt likes to call the Blackberry Storm a "virtual Swiss Army knife."

The Socrates Project at Pandora-Gilboa High School is the first of its kind to be sponsored by Verizon Wireless in Ohio.

"We took a look at the proposal from the school and we said, 'Yes, this makes a lot of sense. It is a great fit. The kids these days are so savvy it's scary,'" said Merritt.

She said students will be free to explore all the phones' features, unless the school places restrictions.

"We certainly didn't want to put restrictions on the phone from our end," Merritt said.

But it's not only the schools that are catching on to the new format. Merritt said women in their 40s and 50s are the fastest growing segment of people new to texting.

"If you think about it, those are probably moms who have figured out that if I want to keep in contact with my child, I better figure this out," Merritt said. "And if you ask them who taught you to use the phone, they'll tell you 'My kid did.'"

Verizon Wireless also offers a Web site dedicated to students, parents and teachers at: www.thinkfinity.org.

This free Web site offers educational resources across eight disciplines and are align with Ohio's state academic standards.

"While it was started to help teachers bring subjects to life via technology, particularly in hard economic times, free, high-quality educational resources are something school systems are always hungry for," said Alberto Canal, another spokesperson for the company.

On The Net:

www.pg.noacsc.org



Grant: 419-427-8412,

Send an e-mail to Denise Grant
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This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.