McMichael Middle School is hosting the district's 2017 middle school summer school program, High-Tech Summer Camp, from June 5th through June 21st.
High-Tech Summer Camp students are given a custom learning experience that addresses their specific learning and social needs, in a structured setting. The basis behind this Blended Learning approach being used, within a face-to-face environment, is to build and enhance the foundational skills necessary for success in the classroom and to engage students with digital learning opportunities.
"Angela and her teachers have poured their heart, soul and time into making this two week program an engaging, individualized and a creative approach to target skills the students are lacking," said District Instructional Technology Coordinator Sharon Fenley.
"I've got challenging students attending this summer session and they are well-behaved, staying in dress code and actively participating and learning," said eighth grade Student Success Initiative (SSI) facilitator Angela Peyton. "Karen Smith, Brinn Williford, Dusti Mitchell, Linda McKnight, Carrie Wright, Charles Zemanek, Jean Blocker, Chance Chapman, Andy Watts, Peggy Thompson, Cicely Driver, Amy Rice, Melissa Jones, and Austin Rourke, should be commended for their efforts in making this a unique summer session for the students."
Another vital part of this summer camp are the proactive strategies of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) for teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create a positive learning environment. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining campus-wide, classroom, and individual systems of support for all students by making targeted misbehavior less effective and relevant and the desired behavior more purposeful and useful.
"We feel that modeling and reinforcing positive behavior is an important step of a student's educational experience," said Fenley. "Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for the misbehavior to occur."
The Rand Corporation reports on summer school effectiveness. Some of the recommendations are:

• Do something different-go beyond "drill and kill" instruction to engagement in a new way!
• Individualize instruction-through technology
• Motivate students to show up through incentives-attendance is the key.
  The NISD eighth grade High-Tech Summer Camp teachers provide students the incentive of earning "Learning Bucks" for attendance, participation and showing improvement. They can accrue these "Learning Bucks" to receive rewards. The motto for High-Tech Summer Camp is Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready to Succeed! Students recite the motto in the morning and at lunch. When Peyton visits classrooms, she awards "Learning Bucks" to those who can recite the motto.
  Students kick off the morning utilizing Google Classroom where they are introduced to the concept of the day through interactive video clips and/or PowerPoints as well as video-assisted instruction. Skill practice using IStation Reading completes the last 30 minutes of the block.
  The students break out into small groups for cooperative activities and hands-on learning focusing on Math and Language Arts. The students also interact with engaging news articles targeting a specific concept of the day and use technology to continue practice with the targeted concepts of the day. After students work together in cooperative groups to create a product, students close the day in Google Classroom utilizing digital learning programs such as iStation Reading, Quizlet Review, Imagine Math, NewsELA, and MobyMax.
  For more information about this technology-based enrichment and remediation program, please email Angela Peyton at apeyton@nacisd.org.
  About NISD
  Established in 1903, Nacogdoches ISD offers Prekindergarten through 12th grade education to nearly 6,500 students on 10 campuses. We emphasize the importance of every child reaching his or her fullest potential. Our mission at Nacogdoches ISD is to educate and inspire everyone to achieve excellence.