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Laptops at Greely High
School
Laptops from Foundation 51 Make an Impact at Greely High
Many Greely High students have access to computers at
home – do they really need computers in the classroom? The answer is a
resounding “yes” by those in the Greely South Wing community, which has received
12 laptop computers from two grants from Foundation 51. The technology has
enhanced teaching and learning, enabled the school to more fully use its
textbook purchases, and is serving as a model for future technology
installations at the school.
Teachers in the renovated junior high – dubbed the South Wing – purchased six
laptop computers primarily to be used for science instruction. Foundation 51
added twelve additional laptops and the cart, which has allowed for full
integration into several classes in South Wing. According to Melissa Skahan,
Director of Development at Greely High, “The program has been profoundly
successful, and has changed the way we feel about technology. These kids have
moved ahead.”
Providing kids with technology in the classroom enabled them to complete their
assignments with the support and feedback of their teachers at their side,
rather than work unsuccessfully at home and wait a day to connect with a
teacher. “Kids that struggle to read and write may not complete homework, even
if they have a computer at home,” says Skahan. “The instant feedback from a
teacher is so much more powerful – the teacher can be right there at their
side.”
Teachers decided to expand the model to the Small Learning Community, where
teachers collaborate across disciplines to create a cohesive curriculum for a
group of students. They received two grants from Foundation 51 to purchase 12
more laptops, giving the program a total of 18 laptops with mobile cart. The
third grant made the difference, according to Brian Blum, science teacher at
Greely, because it meant an entire class could be using the laptops at once.
“With 12 laptops, we were getting closer, but the kids could not do individual
work. With 18, we can do an activity with the whole class,” says Blum.
Blum uses the laptops in his biology classes, in the small learning community,
to help with science fair projects, and with his physics classes. “In our
biology classes, we purchased textbooks that include online simulations, and now
we can do them right in class,” says Blum. “It’s a big part of my class, because
the simulations really help the kids see what’s going on inside a cell.”
In his Foundations of Science class, Blum has used the computers extensively for
lab activities. “The kids collect data with computer-based probes such as motion
detectors, temperature probes, force probes, and precision timing devices,” says
Blum. “They really connect with the technology, and it helps reinforce their
learning. Plus, the data we get is so much more accurate than using stop watches
or thermometers.”
Blum also uses the computers to help students develop their science fair
projects. “We wheeled in the mobile cart, and the kids learned how to use the
graphing programs,” says Blum. “I was able to work with them right there so that
they could complete their project, rather than trying to figure it out without
my help at home.”
Using the technology in the classroom is a vast improvement over using the
school-based computer lab, because the classes don’t waste time and
concentration traveling to and from the lab, and allows the teachers more
flexibility in class structuring.
According to Blum, the computers are in use for multiple classes per day, as the
cart can be rolled from room to room. The Spanish classes, for example, recently
used the laptops to prepare for an online Spanish exam. “The fact that they are
mobile has allowed us to really use these computers,” says Blum. “We really
appreciate the support of Foundation 51.”
“Of all of the grants I’ve seen from Foundation 51, I think this one has had the
greatest impact,” says Skahan. “It is a great use of hardware, where teachers
are deliberately planning around the use of laptops to reach educational goals.
The kids are excited about it, and it has been a huge success.”
Foundation 51 is a non-profit organization that funds grants from teachers,
students, and community members to help improve education and learning within
the schools of MSAD 51. For more information about Foundation 51 or about
applying for a grant, visit www.foundation51.org.
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