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Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series examining the ever-changing technology used within Washington’s schools.
Sixth-grade Central Intermediate School teacher Jessica Uftring said she utilizes some sort of technology in her classroom on a daily basis, something that did not happen when she first started teaching eight years ago.
“This is all they know,” she said of her students. “This is something they’ve grown up with, so for them to be able to bring in something that they use on a regular basis at home is exciting. They’re so excited to use these devices, so they’re really engaged in what’s going on in the classroom.”
The school, which has a wireless connection throughout the building, began allowing students to bring in their own handheld, Internet-ready devices in the middle of last school year.
“When we went wireless, we knew we weren’t going to be able to provide a device for every student in the school. It just wouldn’t have been cost effective,” said Principal Brian Hoelscher. “So we went to a student-owned devise initiative here. They are able to use whatever device they wish to bring in.”
On “Text Tuesday,” Uftring’s students answer multiple choice questions displayed on her classroom’s SmartBoard using their own devices. Their responses are immediately displayed on the SmartBoard.
Uftring said she has seen iPads, iPod Touches, smartphones and Kindle Fires in her classroom. Having diverse devices has not been a problem, she said, because students come in with the knowledge to use them.
Uftring’s classroom has computers available for those who do not have the devices or forget to bring them from home. She also loans out her own devices and has students share.
Hoelscher said the decision to let students bring in internet-ready devices was not made without hesitation.
“But we haven’t had a bit of trouble with it,” he said. “I’m a little surprised by it. They’re middle-school kids, you almost expect them to try something. I think it’s a situation where they feel like they’ve got this opportunity and they don’t want to squander it.”
Students have access to the Internet, but their devices’ serial numbers and Mac numbers are registered at the school.
“The Mac number tells us which specific device has accessed the network at any particular time, so if something goes awry — which we haven’t had any issues with — then we could go back, look at our list and search by Mac number to find out who actually did it,” Hoelscher said.
Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series examining the ever-changing technology used within Washington’s schools.
Sixth-grade Central Intermediate School teacher Jessica Uftring said she utilizes some sort of technology in her classroom on a daily basis, something that did not happen when she first started teaching eight years ago.
“This is all they know,” she said of her students. “This is something they’ve grown up with, so for them to be able to bring in something that they use on a regular basis at home is exciting. They’re so excited to use these devices, so they’re really engaged in what’s going on in the classroom.”
The school, which has a wireless connection throughout the building, began allowing students to bring in their own handheld, Internet-ready devices in the middle of last school year.
“When we went wireless, we knew we weren’t going to be able to provide a device for every student in the school. It just wouldn’t have been cost effective,” said Principal Brian Hoelscher. “So we went to a student-owned devise initiative here. They are able to use whatever device they wish to bring in.”
On “Text Tuesday,” Uftring’s students answer multiple choice questions displayed on her classroom’s SmartBoard using their own devices. Their responses are immediately displayed on the SmartBoard.
Uftring said she has seen iPads, iPod Touches, smartphones and Kindle Fires in her classroom. Having diverse devices has not been a problem, she said, because students come in with the knowledge to use them.
Uftring’s classroom has computers available for those who do not have the devices or forget to bring them from home. She also loans out her own devices and has students share.
Hoelscher said the decision to let students bring in internet-ready devices was not made without hesitation.
“But we haven’t had a bit of trouble with it,” he said. “I’m a little surprised by it. They’re middle-school kids, you almost expect them to try something. I think it’s a situation where they feel like they’ve got this opportunity and they don’t want to squander it.”
Students have access to the Internet, but their devices’ serial numbers and Mac numbers are registered at the school.
“The Mac number tells us which specific device has accessed the network at any particular time, so if something goes awry — which we haven’t had any issues with — then we could go back, look at our list and search by Mac number to find out who actually did it,” Hoelscher said.
He said in the end, letting students bring in their own devises just made sense.
“We knew we’d never be able to keep up with the equipment at home,” he said. “Bringing in what they use already seemed like the best idea. Why make them utilize things that they may not use outside of school? Let them utilize what they use all the time, what they’re good at, what they’re productive with.”
At the school, teachers and students benefit from SmartBoards in every classroom, a portable lab of 30 Netbooks, a technology instruction lab and a technology classroom within the library. Rosetta Stone software is also available to staff and students who wish to learn another language on an ungraded basis.
Central Intermediate also has iPads that are used in special education classes as a learning tool.
“We have been able to utilize them a great deal for students with autism,” Hoelscher said. “We have a young man who’s using one as a communication device. They’re extremely useful. There’s an app for anything.”
Hoelscher said the possibilities available with advancements in technology sometimes makes him wish he was teaching again.
“Fourteen years ago, I’m trying to do these things and you had to jump through quite a few hoops,” he said. “Now things are so easy. There is just so much available to these kids and I think it would be a shame if we weren’t offering them every possibility to succeed.”
