John W. Hallahan High School will kick off its summer with an innovative Online Summer Reading Program, with 150 students using social media, such as blogs, wikis and forums to meet their summer goals to read and achieve. Hallahan is the first school in the Archdiocese to implement such a program. The all-girls high school will serve as a model to encourage other schools to communicate using online tools over the summer.

Hallahan students will be given a pre-determined list of books to read during the summer. Teacher moderators will use social media to provoke discussions, answer questions and guide and engage the students during their reading journeys.

"This is a wonderful program which really engages Hallahan students on a different level during summer," say Michelle Beachy, Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs. "In the past, summer reading programs were merely discussed upon returning to school in the fall. With the use of Web 2.0, we can maximize the learning process of a reading program, engage the students in discussions and continue classroom work from our homes during summer months."

The Online Summer Reading Program was developed by Hallahan as a result of the Archdiocese's participation in Powerful Learning Practice (PLP). PLP is a professional development initiative that facilitates immersion experiences for teachers in 21st Century learning, technology and teaching methods. Each of the 20 high schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has a team of educators and teachers participating in the PLP program.

Contact
Donna Farrell
Director of Communications
215-587-3747