Ferraina recognized for schools' use of technology Joseph M. Ferraina LONG BRANCH - Long Branch Superintendent of Schools Joseph M. Ferraina is being honored for using technology as an educational tool for students in the city's public school district. Ferraina achieved recognition in the seventh annual "Tech-Savvy Superinten-dents" award program presented by the monthly newspaper, eSchool News. "This highly coveted award recognizes exemplary and visionary leadership in the realm of school technology," said Gregg W. Downey, editor and publisher of the national print newspaper and its companion Web site. "This honor is especially meaningful because winners are nominated by their peers - other educators from coast to coast - and selected by previous years' superintendent laureates," he said in a press release. Ferraina began a program in the Long Branch School District to provide laptops to each fifth grader, and as the students advance from grade to grade, the laptops follow them, according to the release. He also started a program to provide dial-up access to families of students in the district who could not afford it on their own. Currently, Ferraina is working on a project that would provide wireless access to all students from their homes, according to the release.