Blackboards? That’s old school

Teachers help students become ‘SMART-er’
with new technology in the classroom

September 9, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

When Kathy Goforth asks for volunteers to write on the board in her math classes, the room suddenly turns into a waving forest of outstretched hands.
That’s because the middle school math teacher is in charge of one of the most high-tech — and highly fun — teaching tools at Greenwood Christian School.
Goforth uses a SMART Notebook — think of a cross between an electronic blackboard and a touch-screen computer — that makes write notes and draw charts easier than scrolling down a Web page.
SMART Notebook uses a digital projector and a blackboard-sized touch pad to interact with a person’s movements.
Wherever a person touches the smartboard, a computer responds with an action on the screen.
The board allows Goforth to save notes written on the board to her computer or on a Web site for students who miss class, change the “ink” color of the four marker-shaped writing tools that work with the board and use computer animation to demonstrate math problems.
“Anything you do on a computer, you can do here,” Goforth said.
Greenwood Christian now has seven smartboards, allowing a few teachers to use the technology in elementary, middle and high school classes, said Melissa Mack, developmental director for the school.
The school raised $8,400 from its annual spring auction to buy six of the smartboards for the 2006-07 school year after Goforth received one last year.
Each board costs about $1,400, Goforth said.
She started learning about the smartboard right after spring break this year.
Goforth was hesitant about using the new technology in front of her classes, but the smartboard was so user-friendly that Goforth learned quickly.
Her students, born into a world of constantly changing technology, have helped her fill in the gaps with the board.
“Sometimes, they know it better than I do,” Goforth said.
The smartboard also helps students learn better. Student participation in class has increased thanks to the smartboard, Goforth said.
The smartboard has become so popular that Goforth has had to draw students’ names from a bucket rather than have them argue about who used the board last.
Goforth drew Marissa Duff’s name from the sixth-grade bucket Thursday. Duff, the fastest math drill student in the class, raced up to the board. She finishes the 10-problem liquid measurement quiz in under 15 seconds.
Goforth asked her to clear the answers from the board.
Instead of grabbing the electronic eraser resting in a tray below the board, she touched a pull-down window on the board and selected a “Clear All” command. Instantly, the answers vanish, but the problems remain.
John Jones is a high school science teacher at Greenwood Christian. He said he uses his smartboard for everything from showing the structure of a molecule to the dissection of a digital frog.
“It gets them more excited than having them sitting in their chairs and me up here,” Jones said.
Frances Floyd uses a smartboard in her geography class. The middle school history teacher said she can pull up current maps for her class and watch video news clips, among other things.
The smartboard really helps visual learners comprehend lessons, Floyd said.
Goforth has a regular white marker board in her class, but she never uses it.
The smartboard has become indispensable in her teaching.
“I can’t imagine not using the smartboard now,” Goforth said.

Dorothy Coleman

GREENWOOD — Dorothy B. Coleman, 76, of 105 Bintage Road, died Sept. 6, at Self Regional Medical Center. Born in Greenwood Co., a daughter of the late Matthew Belcher and Azalee Smith Belcher. She was formerly employed with Greenwood Mills for 30 years and a private housekeeper for 20 years. She was a member of Dunham Temple CME Church where she served as a former Choir member and Stewardess. She was a member of the former Angeltones of Greenwood. Surviving is a daughter, Nancy Brown of the home, one sister, Willie Mae Brooks of Greenwood, two aunts, Margaret Belcher of Cokesbury and Dora Lloyd of Phila., Pa., one granddaughter, seven great-g’children, one GG grandchild.
Graveside services will be held Saturday at 1:00 from Greenwood Memorial Gardens with Rev. James McKee officiating. Burial will follow. The family is at the home.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.

Mary K. Crowder

GREENWOOD — Mary Kirkman Crowder, 81, of Morningside, widow of John Barron Crowder, Sr., died Friday, September 8, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late Oscar Homer and Della Allred Kirkman. She attended Lander College and retired from The Index-Journal. She was also a seamstress and interior designer and taught drapery making courses at Piedmont Technical College. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, where she was a member of the Beulah Baker Circle.
Surviving is a daughter, Suzanne Crowder-Han of Seoul, South Korea; a son, John B. “Barry” Crowder, Jr. of Waterloo; three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Services will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church with the Rev. John Setzler officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Prior to the service on Sunday, the family will receive guests in the loggia of the church beginning at 2:30 p.m.
The family is the home of her son, Barry Crowder.
Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church, 501 E. Creswell Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Emory Emond

Emory William Emond, 82, of 414 Rivers Run, widower of Sarah Anne Coleman Emond, died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Self Regional Medical Center.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Mr. Enoch Mars, Jr.

FAR ROCKAWAY, N.Y. — Enoch Mars, Jr., age 75, of Far Rockaway, formerly of Due West, SC, died August 31, 2006. He was born in Abbeville and was the son of the late Enoch and Agnes Mars, Sr.
Services will be Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 3:00 P.M. at St. Mary Baptist Church in Due West. Burial will be in Mt. Zion Memorial Garden in Due West. The body will be placed in the Church at 2:00 P.M.
The family is at the home of Katie P. Paul in Due West. Viewing will be from 8:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Saturday at Brown and Walker Funeral Home.

Richard Gerald Trammell

WHITMIRE — Richard Gerald Trammell, age 72, born August 1, 1934, passed away September 7, 2006 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Teresa and Robert Baker, in Whitmire after an extended illness.
Mr. Trammell served in the National Guard. He was a member of the Whitmire Golf Club, Fairway Country Club of Union, the Joanna Moose Lodge and Broad River Yacht Club.
He is survived by two daughters, Donna Trammell of Greenwood and Teresa Baker of Whitmire; two grandsons, Derrick and Jason Jennings; three great-grandchildren; a sister, Beatrice Harrison of Whitmire; a brother, Warren Trammell of Newberry; friend and former wife, Dalma Trammell; his faithful pet, “Pepper” and a host of friends.
Mr. Trammell was predeceased by his mother, Jeannette Trammell and a brother, William Trammell.
He was supported with loving care from Hospice Care of SC/Prosperity.
Graveside services will be held Sunday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m. at the Whitmire Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Saturday, September 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Gray Funeral Home in Whitmire.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice Care of S.C./Prosperity, P.O. Box 37, Prosperity, SC 29127.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.grayfuneralhome.com.
Gray Funeral Home of Whitmire is serving the family.

Dr. Mel Wimmer

HODGES — Dr. Melvin L. “Mel” Wimmer, Sr., 70, resident of 5701 Highway 25 North, died September 8, 2006 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.
Born in Memphis, TN, January 22, 1936, he was a son of the late Leonard and Birdie McKinney Wimmer. He was a graduate of The Citadel and served as a 1st Lieutenant in The U.S. Army before entering dental school at the University of Missouri. Dr. Wimmer was a practicing dentist for 40 years in Greenwood and served on the Self Regional Medical Center dental staff.
Dr. Wimmer was very active in the Greenwood Community Theatre and other local theaters. He was inducted into the Lander University Athletic Hall of Fame for his service and dedication to the athletes, students, and university family. He was a member of First Baptist Church where he has served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and was a long-standing member of the choir. He enjoyed over 25 years of SC High School Football officiating.
He is survived by his daughter, Wendi Wimmer, of Columbia and her children; Hughston Armstrong and Victoria Jackson; his son, M. L. “Lee” Wimmer, Jr. and wife, Tammy Babb Wimmer, of Greenwood, their sons M. L. “Trey” Wimmer III, Ty Wimmer and Thomas Heath Wimmer; a sister, Pat Giglio of Tampa, Fla. and close personal friend, Rosalind Welder of Lincolnton, NC.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM Monday at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Tony Hopkins and Rev. Kenneth Standley officiating.
Burial will be in Edgewood Cemetery.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 10:00 AM Monday.
The family is at the home of Lee and Tammy Wimmer, 102 English Court, and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:30 to 8:30 Sunday evening.
The family asks, in lieu of flowers, that memorials be made to the Melvin L. Wimmer Scholarship Fund, c/o The Lander University Foundation, 310 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29649.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Wimmer family.

Greenwood dominates Dorman

Third-straight win for Eagles achieved by team’s defense

September 9, 2006

By RON COX
Special to The Index-Journal

ROEBUCK — The few remaining Dorman High School football fans at Cavaliers Stadium made a hasty retreat not long after Greenwood’s Ixavier Higgins crossed the goal line midway through the fourth quarter.
The senior linebacker completed the Eagles’ dominating performance with 60-yard interception return for a score to put the finishing touches on 27-7 beating of the Cavaliers Friday night in Roebuck. It’s Greenwood’s third-straight win over the Big 16 school and third-straight win to start the season.
“We wanted this one terribly,” Higgins said. “We’ve beat them the last two years and we wanted to keep it going. I’ve never lost to them as a varsity player, and that says a lot, because they’re such a great team and a great program.”
The Eagles’ defense allowed 173 yards of offense to Dorman, but 95 came on the ground from tailback Lamont Cartledge. However, it was Randy Garrett that the Greenwood D haggled most of the night, forcing the senior quarterback into three interceptions, an intentional grounding penalty and four sacks resulting in negative 22-yards of offense.
“Everybody was flying to the ball like the coach wants,” said defensive back Josh Norman, who had an interception and a fumble recovery. “We were turning our defense into offense.”
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first, benefiting from the first Dorman miscue, which came on the second play from scrimmage. Cartledge ran headlong into a pile of Eagles. However, only the ball managed to squirt out, right into the hands of Norman.
The Eagles’ offense took advantage of the Dorman gift, pounding seven running plays and one short screen pass to get into the end zone. Senior tailback Jarvie Robinson capped the eight-play drive, spinning in from the 1-yard line.
The Eagles’ 7-0 lead lasted only a few minutes, as the Cavaliers responded with a scoring of their own.
Garrett opened the five-play drive by hitting Cartledge for a 23-yard screen pass to bring Dorman to the Greenwood 38. Three plays later, the Cavaliers stood on the 1.
After a five-yard penalty, Garrett connected with tight end Andrew Lanier for the 7-yard touchdown, knotting the game at 7.
Greenwood would regain the lead in the second quarter, again set up by the defense. On a Dorman third-and-3, Greenwood defensive lineman Jordan Gary chased Garrett out of the pocket, directly into the waited arms of linebacker Mackenzie Tharpe, who dropped Garrett for an 11-yard loss.
The Eagles took over at their own 44. Quarterback Jay Spearman took the second play of the series and sprinted the QB keeper for 26 yards. Three straight short rushing plays set up a third-and-goal from the 3. Spearman took the snap, rolled left and lofted a pass for Gary in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score.
The eight-play scoring drive gave Greenwood a 14-7 advantage and ate up more than 4 minutes off the clock, leaving 1:25 to play in the first half.
But that was enough for the Eagles to add to their total. The Cavaliers were forced to take their third punt, thanks to another Greenwood sack on Garrett.
Starting from the Dorman 40, Spearman guided the Eagles to the 20, setting up a 37-yard field goal from Andrew Tims for the 17-7 halftime lead.
Tims added another field goal – a 2-yarder – late in the third quarter to bring it to a 13-point advantage.
The Greenwood defense sealed it early in the fourth quarter with Higgins’ interception. The senior stepped in front of a Garrett pass and rumbled 60 yards for the touchdown to make it 27-7.
“I went with him and he tried to fade away from me, but he threw it a little behind the receiver and a broke on it,” Higgins said. “And all I saw after that was an open field of grass. I just didn’t want anybody to catch me from behind.”

Abbeville takes the ‘W’ in Upstate catfight

Abbeville uses field position to its advantage in win over Emerald

September 9, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

BATESBURG — The better Panthers won Friday night in Batesburg-Leesville.
The Abbeville High School Panthers downed the Batesburg-Leesville Panthers, 17-6, Friday in Class AA football action.
The contest pitted the No. 1 team in the state — B-L — against No. 5 ranked team Abbeville.
An estimated crowd of 4,500 fans crowded “The Pit,” craning their necks to get a look at a pair of perennial AA powers.
What those fans saw was a physical domination from Abbeville (3-0), which outgained defending AA state champs B-L (2-1) running the football 317 yards to 27.
Abbeville tailback Toquavius Gilchrist ripped through the home team defense for 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Desmond Peterson had 80 rushing yards.
“We were ready,” Gilchrist said. “But it’s not me. This was a team effort. Our offensive line did it all. We’ve got a great line.”
Abbeville coach Jamie Nickles echoed Gilchrist’s team approach.
“This was totally and completely a team effort,” Nickles said. “Our coaches did a great job getting our offense and our defense ready to play.”
Abbeville came out and established its running game from the opening snap.
Setting up from its own 31 yard line, Abbeville immediately began running Gilchrist and fellow wingback Desmond Peterson, who had 80 yards, between the tackles. Abbeville drove the ball to the two-yard line, but penalties forced it back to the 17.
The drive ended when Abbeville kicker Tyler McMurtury popped in a 34-yard field goal to give Abbeville the 3-0 lead with 8:28 left in the first quarter.
Abbeville scored its first touchdown of the night at the beginning of the second quarter.
Taking over at the Batesburg-Leesville 39, Gilchrist took a handoff around the right side on the first play of the possession, good for 25 yards. Several plays later, another holding penalty pushed Abbeville back to the 18 yard line. However, Abbeville quarterback Mack Hite took advantage of the extra room to work.
On a third and 10, Hite took a shotgun snap from center and stepped to his right. He spotted senior wideout Demario Cobb streaking toward the left corner of the endzone. Hite fired the ball to Cobb for an 18-yard touchdown, giving the Panthers in garnet and gold a 10-0 lead. The score remained the same until halftime.
The lead would perhaps have been bigger if not for the 70 yards in penalties Abbeville accrued in the first half.
Nickles admitted that is an area in which the Panthers need to improve.
“There is still work to do,” Nickles said. “We had a bunch of penalties, and that will need to be corrected.”
If Batesburg-Leesville had any hope of establishing tempo in the second half, Abbeville crushed those hopes emphatically at the start of the third quarter.
That’s when Abbeville went on a punishing 95-yard, 4:34 drive in plays that resulted in a Gilchrist touchdown. The B-L defenders were visibly winded by the end of the drive, standing with their hands on their hips and bending over between plays.
The drive put Abbeville ahead, 17-0, a lead they would never relinquish. Nickles talked about the importance of the drive.
“That was a tone setter for the second half,” Nickles said. “It was really important to get those points on the board and take several minutes off the clock.”
Now Abbeville will hit the road to take on Region I-AA archrival Pendleton next Friday. The Bulldogs have defeated Abbeville two consecutive years.
“We’re ready,” Gilchrist said of the Pendleton game. “It’s region time now.”

Merged media ownership can have a negative side

September 9, 2006

It’s been said many times that big is not always better. There are many examples of that, to be sure. However, the way the big media companies have gobbled up newspapers, TV and radio stations and cable systems turns the public scrutiny on how local news is covered.
Most people in South Carolina are typical. They look to local newspapers and TV stations to keep them informed on what goes on in their communities. There also has been an expectation that various local media compete and offer a wide range of views because of different owners.
Historically there were restrictions on multi-property ownership in the marketplace. Then the Federal Communications Commission loosened the restrictions.

THERE WAS A PUBLIC OUTCRY, but the FCC went ahead anyway. That allowed what might be considered closed media markets. They often featured one owner and one prevailing view.
Fortunately for the public, the courts threw out the FCC rules. Now, though, the FCC is at work again. Before new ownership rules become more liberal, the voice of the people should be heard.
Why worry about consolidated ownership? The “news” too often is rehashed among “sister” newspapers and stations. And local news? A survey a couple of years ago showed that 61 percent of people in this country said newspapers were their primary and most important source of local news to help them keep up and form opinions. Broadcast news was second.
Consolidation reduces the flow and variety of local news, and the end result is obvious.

CONSIDER: IN THE 200 MARKETS where the FCC would have allowed local media mergers, most of them have only one major daily newspaper. If that paper were allowed to own local stations, how much variety would there be in the news and opinions presented? Without competition it’s very likely there wouldn’t be much difference. If competition drops, it’s reasonable to think local news content and variety would also go down. That would mean the independent media would cease to perform a vital function of keeping the public informed and living up to its role as one of the foundations of democracy.
Elected officials need to hear from their constituents: Reject new FCC rules. More consolidation of the American media is a step backward. South Carolina, even under present rules, is a good example. Media giants own so many papers and stations in the Palmetto State they carry an inordinate amount of clout in a relatively small state. Who knows where that could lead?