News on the Rural Learning Interchange: 

Chandra Shekhar, Civilian Employee of the Year

Gila County Detention Education Program Specialist, Chandra Shekhar, was awarded the Civilian Employee of the Year at the 3rd Annual ADA Leadership and Technology Conference held in Prescott February 21, 2010.

The nominations and supporting letters for Shekhar consistently mention commitment to and motivation of all students. His focus on innovation at the Gila County Detention Center leading to individual student achievement and advancement is a dynamic strength.

County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Linda O'Dell, noted that he was one of the most professional, dedicated and compassionate educators with whom she has ever worked. She wrote to the nomination committee that his effect on students is at once quieting, yet powerful, and that his primary goal is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience academic success as one means of helping them build self-esteem and enhance their motivation to learn.

The GED program had been implemented since Shekhar's arrival to the detention center as school instructor in 2005. Since then, they have had a huge turnout in the number of students who have successfully completed their GED. If not for his time and dedication, these students may not have received that opportunity.

Shekhar has also won first place for his colorful and detailed poster creation which is very popular among county staff members. Several copies of his award-winning poster are displayed at county office sites, including the Gila County Courthouse.

Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall

New York Times by SAM DILLON
VAIL, Ariz. — Students endure hundreds of hours on yellow buses each year getting to and from school in this desert suburb of Tucson, and stir-crazy teenagers break the monotony by teasing, texting, flirting, shouting, climbing (over seats) and sometimes punching (seats or seatmates). But on a chilly morning, on bus No. 92 high school students are quiet, typing on laptops. Morning routines have been like this since the fall, when school officials mounted a mobile Internet router to bus No. 92’s sheet-metal frame, enabling students to surf the Web. The students call it the Internet Bus, and what began as a high-tech experiment has had an old-fashioned — and unexpected — result. Wi-Fi access has transformed what was often a boisterous bus ride into a rolling study hall, and behavioral problems have virtually disappeared.

Funding Education Beyond High School

The Guide to Federal Student Aid is a resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of aid available through the Department's Federal Student Aid office. Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid tells you about the programs and how to apply for them. To apply for federal aid and to apply for many state student aid programs, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Electronic versions of the FAFSA make applying for financial aid faster and easier than ever. Federal Student Aid Information Center: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

Thinkfinity

Access discipline-specific, standards-based educational resources at www.thinkfinity.org!  All of Thinkfinity.org's 55,000 standards-based K-12 lesson plans, student materials, interactive tools and reference materials are reviewed by the nation's leading education organizations to ensure that content is accurate, up-to-date, unbiased and appropriate for students.