News Summary

Online SchoolRooms in the works

For Ohio students, parents and teachers, learning and teaching is becoming more engaging with the creation of an interactive, online learning environment.

SchoolRooms is a new educational resource in the works for kindergarteners through seniors searching for information for class, research and to complete homework.

Developed by SirsiDynix, a global firm in technology solutions for libraries, along with the statewide school library and information network, INFOhio, 64 virtual "rooms" will be created to cover the K-12 curriculum, including fine arts, language arts, math, science and social studies.

Nearly 150 teachers and librarians from more than 52 districts across the state are developing content for the program.

This is how it works.

When a student types in a word, SchoolRooms searches a school's library, online databases, and about 15 million links, videos, animations and digital images pre-approved by educators.

It's intended to be an alternative to popular search engines children use to gather information, like Google, which can return millions of random search results.

"These are sites chosen and looked at by educators saying that out of a thousand sites out there on a topic, these are the best we see," said Brenda Gehm, media specialist for the Monroe Local School District.

The program also features a room for parents, which includes information

students receive, and articles on issues such as homework habits and peer pressure.

Theresa Fredericka, executive director for INFOhio, said the new student portal system is intended to encourage learning with a more student-centered approach to engaging kids in online exploration.

Gehm and Monroe fifth-grade teacher David Hogan are part of the team helping to create the learning environment by selecting material in line with curriculum standards.

"Rooms" in U.S. history and earth science were piloted by 5,600 students this year in north-eastern Ohio's Shaker Heights City School District.

INFOhio is continuing to develop SchoolRooms in all subjects this summer.

A statewide launch of the program is expected this fall.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2813 or mcrosby@coxohio.com.