That’s just one of the many interesting questions students at Marysville Getchell High School’s Bio-Med Academy are being asked to answer using technology.

Principal Angela Delgado and staff talked to the Marysville school board about their School of Distinction March 21.

Even in math, teacher John Ovall said technology is being used.

“We haven’t fully moved our lives over,” he joked, “but we’re moving in the right direction.”

He said he is using an internet site called Desmos where students can critically think and use their imaginations.

“Students interact, predict and verify,” he said, adding Desmos is a simple game where student figure out angles to make marbles go down a slide.

In science, students are using autograder to help them learn on their own from missed answers. For English Language Leaners, students are helped with translation using technology. And in social studies students are no longer taught to memorize dates, but to focus on the big picture of what’s important. They also create movies using storyjumper.com to make learning fun.

In this age of education where discovery is more important than memorization, students are also taught that it is OK to make mistakes because that can help them learn. FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning.

While impressed with the use of the internet, school board member Chris Nation asked how teachers will keep up-to-date on the latest and greatest since everything changes to quickly.

“The kids know what’s out there,” was the answer.

Principal Terri Kaltenbach and her staff at Arts and Tech High School also gave a presentation to the board.

Her staff talked briefly about Chromebooks, saying they have been good for taking notes and collaboration, but there have been issues with social media.

Kaltenbach said staff is mentoring students who have a failing grade. Help is being offered after school.

“Transportation is an issue or more would be helped,” she said.

Schoolwide there was a goal of reducing disciplinary referrals this year, but they actually are up. Kaltenbach said that may not be such a bad thing because teachers are doing a better job of documentation, leading to fewer suspensions and therefore fewer days of students missing school.

The principal also said, “The high needs students caused the staff to think differently, and we need a lot of strategies to get them to the finish line.”

She added that staff does a great job making students comfortable so many come back a fifth year to graduate.

Scott Beebe, chief technology officer, gave an update on the use of about 8,400 Chromebooks, saying the main problems with breakage have been at the middle schools, Totem and Marysville. He also said they would be collected from students this summer for updates. Consultant Jeff Utecht said other nearby districts are watching Marysville. They are impressed with how many computers were rolled out so quickly. “Other districts are behind,” he said. “People are watching to see how this works.” Regarding training for teachers, he added that professional development is ongoing. “They are putting in the work,” he said.

In other school news:

•Human Resources director Jason Thompson talked about the contract agreement with SEIU workers. The pact is retroactive to Sept. 1 and continues to

Aug. 31, 2019. Service Employee International Union workers will have a five-step salary schedule and longevity pay increases.

•Colleen Thomas gave an update on Engage New York math curriculum, saying it has helped improve scores and also helped teachers in that it is aligned with Common Core standards.

•The district has updated its inventory to protect against theft and losses of items worth $500 or more. “Accountability is very important,” school board president Pete Lundberg said.

•Nation and Bruce Larsen agreed that schools should look into traveling together more not only to save money, but also for that interaction.