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Charleston County School District aims to put iPads in every school [The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.](Post & Courier (Charleston, SC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 19--Three years after the first Charleston County classrooms were stocked with iPads, the Charleston County School District is launching a $1.9 million initiative that will put iPads and Chromebooks in every school in the district by spring. The plan is part of the school district's Classroom Modernization Project, which district officials say is meant to provide students with a 21st century learning environment. Lainie Berry, the district's director of educational technology, said the district believes that integrating the technology into classroom learning will help students with developing four key skills -- critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. "If we're valuing those as the 21st century skills we want students graduating with so they can get the jobs that are relevant and are out there, then they really do need this type of exposure," Berry said. "We feel this is really preparing them for a real world environment." All Charleston County teachers who don't already have a district-issued tablet will receive either an iPad or a Chromebook as part of the project. A total of 1,032 iPads and 724 Chromebooks are being issued to teachers this fall. Students will get their devices in January and February when 1,218 iPads and 834 Chromebooks will be divided up among 65 schools. Another 19 schools have already received iPads through federal grants. Schools will receive classroom sets of either iPads or Chromebooks to be shared by pairs of designated teachers who will receive specialized training on how to integrate the technology in their lesson plans. Most schools will receive two sets of around 25 devices, but larger schools may receive more based on the number of students, teachers and classrooms. John McCarron, the district's chief information officer, said the district began considering expanding its use of tablets after evaluating the replacement of old classroom computers. "We decided two computers in a classroom were largely not effective in engaging groups of students because of the limited amount of computer time each student would get," McCarron said. "With more mobile devices, a teacher can engage 30 children at a time in a classroom." McCarron said the Chromebooks, which come with a built in keyboard, will largely be used in middle and high schools where having a device similar to a laptop could help relieve the school computer labs. The Chromebooks, he said, are also compatible with the state's end-of-course exams and the Measure of Academic Progress assessment, which students take online. More than 10,930 iPads were already being used by Charleston County students and teachers at the start of the school year. The district began piloting the use of iPads at Drayton Hall and Angel Oak elementary schools as well as Haut Gap Middle in 2011. Stall, St. John's and Burke high schools followed in the wave of schools funded through the federal grants. So far it's unclear what real benefit the devices have on student learning. A recent study evaluating the performance of students using iPads at Drayton Hall, Angel Oak and Haut Gap showed mixed results. Some students showed gains in standardized scores for reading and math, but those improvements were similar to students who didn't have access to iPads. But Berry said the study isn't necessarily representative of the impact the technology is having in classrooms. "The relevance of the technology being there isn't just for test scores," she said. "We think they're much more valuable than that." Drayton Hall teacher Stephanie Rosborg, who uses iPads in her third-grade classroom every day, said she's seen firsthand the benefits the technology can have in engaging students. "My kids are extremely focused on the work they have (on the iPads)," she said. "It really helps them be more excited about school rather than dreading it." Rosborg also feels like the individualized lessons she can assign her students through education apps and websites have made a difference in how well they learn a subject, and has even led some students to make better grades. At Stall High School, where every student has a school-issued iPad they can take home, students use the devices for everything from taking notes to group projects to emailing their teachers. Junior Elizabeth Retherford said she even uses an app for band class that helps her improve her skills playing the steel drums. Students Ruth Leon and Tiffany Phillips said the devices help them stay organized and keep up with their class work, noting that even if they miss school they can access most of their assignments online. "It helps us stay on track," Leon said. Alison Hollis and Stephanie Payerle, both of whom teach English at Stall, said they focus on "digital citizenship" and the responsible use of the technology in class. And while the iPads can sometimes be a distraction to students, the devices are helpful for enhancing a lesson, offering different online texts for students to read or letting students work at their own pace, they said. "It gives students a choice," Hollis said. Reach Amanda Kerr at 937-5546 or at Twitter.com/PCAmandaKerr. ___ (c)2014 The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) Visit The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) at www.postandcourier.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |