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Laptops at Greely High |
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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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