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The brutal civil war in Syria has been raging for more than four years now, and some students at View Park Preparatory Charter High School on Crenshaw Blvd. will experience it like never before when they connect virtually with Syrian refugee youth living at a Save the Children community center in Amman, Jordan.
The event is happening April 14 at USC, and highlights the new and visceral ways that digital technology can enhance a student’s education and experience.
Before connecting with the Syrian youth, the Valley Park students will “be immersed in a virtual reality recreation of a bombing and its aftermath in Aleppo, Syria to understand the realities of the Syrian crisis,” according a Global Nomads Group press release. The group is organizing the event, and added, “These young people will discuss the impact of conflict on their daily lives and explore how they can take action locally and globally.”
Click here to learn more about the event.
Instructional Technology Initiative task force meeting
The first meeting of the Instructional Technology Initiative task force is scheduled for later today.
The task force, chaired by Judy Burton, is looking for the best way to pick up the pieces from the district’s disastrous — and rebranded — Common Core Technology Project, which sought to get an iPad into the hands of every student and teacher in the district but was cancelled by Superintendent Ramon Cortines in the wake of a grand jury investigation into the program’s bidding process.
The task force is looking to “develop a plan that supports technology in the classroom to improve teaching and learning,” according to a district press release. A strategic plan is expected to be completed by early 2016.
Linked Learning
The Second Annual Linked Learning Student Showcase took place on Tuesday and gave teams from 10 LAUSD high schools an opportunity to present their projects to local business leaders.
The Linked Learning program is an LA Unified initiative since 2009 that partners with the business community to “build awareness among high school students on the variety of careers available and the role of postsecondary education,” according to its website.
Business leaders from SoCalGas and Warner Music Group were among the participants and saw student projects that included PSAs, a rap performance inspired by Beethoven and drought awareness.
*Corrects reference to Linked Learning. It is an LA Unified program, not United Way, as incorrectly reported in an earlier version.