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Four Montgomery schools soon to get iPad minis, computers [Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.](Montgomery Advertiser (AL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 01--Montgomery students have more to thank military members and civil servants for than just defense of the nation -- sometimes it's for the keyboards underneath their fingers. A Montgomery group made up of military members and government employees in the River Region has been donating thousands of dollars each year for Montgomery Public Schools to purchase technology and science tools for the classroom. The Montgomery Chapter of the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association Education Foundation donated more than $16,000 in grants to four MPS schools last week at a brief ceremony at Blount Elementary in east Montgomery. The AFCEA is an international organization dedicated to fostering the exploration of information technology, communications and electronics for the defense of the nation and communities. The local chapter for the River Region focuses on promoting IT in schools, according to Charisse Stokes, area director for the organization. "We see it as our future. Several of us have children who go to school here in the local community, so we know the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and IT, and it's a national initiative for us," Stokes said. Made up of about 300 members, the AFCEA chapter has donated more than $1 million to MPS during the past 15 years through donations and fundraisers, Stokes said. This year, the AFCEA presented both a Chapter Initiative Award and a Science Teaching Tools grant totaling $16,138 to school officials. The money will be divided among Blount Elementary, Garrett Elementary, Fews Secondary and Jeff Davis High to purchase 36 Dell computers, 36 Microsoft Office software packages, iPad minis, iPad cases and wireless temperature probes. The probes will be used to test science projects inside and outside the classroom at Blount. Some of the iPad minis will be the first the school has ever had, Blount Principal Mona Green said. "Technology is such an eye-opener for all students. No matter how you learn, technology is always able to grab their attention," Green said. "... Information is at their fingertips, and you can bring in some things children have never seen before." The students are excited, too. Third-grade students Abigail Davis, 9, and Kylon Garrett, 8, talked about how they learned to type and use computer programs in the school's computer lab, and math and science classes at Blount. "We can create stories now, and we get to play games and learn lessons on our computer," Abigail said. Kylon is really looking forward to working with iPads at school. "They're really cool. You can just hold it and take it anywhere without any strings attached," Kylon said. To learn more, visit the AFCEA website at www.afcea.org ___ (c)2014 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at www.montgomeryadvertiser.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |