CONVENTION BRINGS PRINCIPALS TO LA CROSSE.

LA CROSSE TRIBUNE, WI.  OCT. 2011

WittFitt exhibits tools for movement in the classroom for principals to try out.LaCrosse Tribune, WI

Lisa Witt, the owner of Witt Fitt, shows Arrowhead High School principal Gregg Wieczorek how stability balls can be used for seating in classrooms at the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators annual conference in the La Crosse Center. The balls can also used to help with the students fitness. Erik Daily Principals’ offices across the state are empty this week. Their regular occupants are in La Crosse for the annual Association of Wisconsin School Administrators convention. “It’s nice for principals in our area, because it’s right here this year,” said Mark White, a principal at Hintgen Elementary School. Booths and workshops filled the La Crosse Center on Thursday as experts presented ideas and learning tools for curious administrators, from online classes custom made for individual students to big rubber balls designed to replace the classroom chair. “Part of it is to bring people together to talk about current events,” association Director Jim Lynch said. Technology is a common theme, especially as schools adapt to students raised in the digital age, Lynch said. Virtual classrooms are one such tool, tunable to the specific needs of each student, said Greg Bishop, a former high school principal from Warren, Mich., who also works for an Internet learning company. Tucked away in a far corner of the convention center, a long line of elementary school principals sat knee-to-knee, comparing notes. White, Hintgen’s principal, facilitated the networking session. “It’s always good to learn from each other,” White said. “Everybody’s got different things that are important to them.” The convention ends today.