The Kent School District got a chance to show itself off this week as it hosted educators from across the country for a National School Boards Association Education Technology Site Visit.

Almost 100 visiting educators toured Kent schools and received lectures on district practices Tuesday and Wednesday, learning about the variety of ways the district employs technology.

A group of visitors were at Kentridge High School Wednesday morning on one of the 12 school tours available at the event. Kentridge students and staff members from various career and technical education classes were prepared for the visit, giving presentations about the technology they use in their everyday learning.

Family and Consumer Sciences students presented the mechanical babies they use to learn basic child-rearing skills. The take-home babies record data showing the level of care the students show day to day, which the teacher later can download for grading purposes.

Engineering students showed the visitors how they design projects on computers and then print the projects using a 3-D printer, a laser engraver or computer-controlled lathes and milling machines.

Automotive Technology students showed how they use computers to troubleshoot problems and gather service information about vehicles.

The visitors seemed impressed by the presentations, which also included information about the point-of-sale software used in the student store and the computer skills taught in business classes at Kentridge.

“We’ve found it well worth our time,” said Bob Grosz, assistant superintendent for curriculum at Fargo Public Schools in North Dakota, between presentations. “We’re quite impressed with some of the initiatives we’ve seen, especially the One-to-One laptop program.”

The district’s One-to-One Initiative, which recently provided every seventh-grader at Mill Creek Middle School a laptop computer, seemed to be a popular feature at the visit last week.

“We’re trying to start that at our school soon, so we came to find out what worked and what didn’t and how they fixed the problems,” Grosz said.

The Kent district accepted an offer to host the visit last May, becoming one of only a few districts in the state to ever receive such an honor. The visit takes place each year at three districts from across the country the association deems exemplary in the use of technology to enhance education.

Contact Daniel Mooney at 253-437-6012 or dmooney@reporternewspapers.com.

The Kent School District got a chance to show itself off this week as it hosted educators from across the country for a National School Boards Association Education Technology Site Visit.

Almost 100 visiting educators toured Kent schools and received lectures on district practices Tuesday and Wednesday, learning about the variety of ways the district employs technology.

A group of visitors were at Kentridge High School Wednesday morning on one of the 12 school tours available at the event. Kentridge students and staff members from various career and technical education classes were prepared for the visit, giving presentations about the technology they use in their everyday learning.

Family and Consumer Sciences students presented the mechanical babies they use to learn basic child-rearing skills. The take-home babies record data showing the level of care the students show day to day, which the teacher later can download for grading purposes.

Engineering students showed the visitors how they design projects on computers and then print the projects using a 3-D printer, a laser engraver or computer-controlled lathes and milling machines.

Automotive Technology students showed how they use computers to troubleshoot problems and gather service information about vehicles.

The visitors seemed impressed by the presentations, which also included information about the point-of-sale software used in the student store and the computer skills taught in business classes at Kentridge.

“We’ve found it well worth our time,” said Bob Grosz, assistant superintendent for curriculum at Fargo Public Schools in North Dakota, between presentations. “We’re quite impressed with some of the initiatives we’ve seen, especially the One-to-One laptop program.”

The district’s One-to-One Initiative, which recently provided every seventh-grader at Mill Creek Middle School a laptop computer, seemed to be a popular feature at the visit last week.

“We’re trying to start that at our school soon, so we came to find out what worked and what didn’t and how they fixed the problems,” Grosz said.

The Kent district accepted an offer to host the visit last May, becoming one of only a few districts in the state to ever receive such an honor. The visit takes place each year at three districts from across the country the association deems exemplary in the use of technology to enhance education.

Contact Daniel Mooney at 253-437-6012 or dmooney@reporternewspapers.com.