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District working to supply every student with a computer

LINCOLN — Educators at Alcona Community Schools believe “Chrome” is educational gold and are working on supplying every student in the district use of a computer.

The computers are the cloud-based Google Chrome system, which is allowing educators to find innovating ways of teaching students.

Peek in most classes at the high school and a person will see students on their personal computers, which they carry from class to class, grade to grade and on home after graduation.

Middle/High School Principal Eddie Barber said there is a computer for every student in the high school and middle school. He said most of the time teachers are working with students through the computers, leaving textbooks behind in many cases.

“It allows for a lot more student interaction, I know in Connor Hubbard’s room he lets them use them for taking notes, looking at Powerpoints and watching videos. He allows them to learn on their own, Barber said.

Barber said the teaching style allows for different education methods on the same subject for students.

“He’ll have one lesson and it’s taught in four different ways and the students can kind of pick which way they can take in the information,” he said.

The computer program, which began in the district during the 2013-14, means that eventually there will be more than 700 computers in the classroom at a cost of more than $200 each. The computers were purchased with the use of rebates, funding from grants, the Parent/Teacher organization and other means, officials said.

Barber said there are untold benefits that will come from their use. He said one is the ever revolving information that is put out in the world. He said using computers has the edge in this case.

“If you have a history book they’re probably 10 or 15 years old and things are not in the book,” he said. “This allows the teachers to use more online and current information too.”

The computers have a long running battery life and there are charging stations at the school for students to use as well as extra computers, Barber explained. Because the computers work off the cloud, if a student forgets a computer they can simply log into a spare and have everything from the missing computer on the new system.

Barber said he sees a unique future with the use of Chromebooks.

“In the next 10 years it’s probably going to be where there are no textbooks in the classroom,” he said. “We’re looking at more where students using laptops looking up firsthand research type stuff, and students taking more ownership of their learning because they’re going to be able to research things they find interesting, it won’t be the teacher telling them what they must research it’s going to be more student driven type of education.”

Alcona 7th grade students Samuel Prince and Jersey Brown have been using computers in the classroom for more than a year and like how it is helping their education.

“I think it helps because we can get more information faster and we don’t have to search through textbooks, all we have to do is look it up because the keys are right below our fingers,” said Brown.

She said the only unfortunate part about it is she can never use the excuse that the dog at her homework again.

Computers and new technology are not only making an impact in the higher grades. Many Alcona Elementary students are now using computers and new electronic white board technology in their classrooms.

The whiteboards, which work like overhead projectors, can run special programming to allow students to write on the board digitally and even move around letters and numbers with their fingertips.

“It’s very significant because students are actually up and manipulating the letters, dragging and dropping and doing all kinds of activities, they are engaged because they are actually doing stuff with it,” he said.

Lee said some teachers are using the software to allow kids to sign in class for the day and pick what they would like to have for lunch. Lee said teachers are working on different uses for the whiteboards as well as sharing information and programs that can be used from class to class to make it better.

He said the young students are catching on to the use of technology as well.

“I think they’re doing really well at understanding that it’s kind of a trial stage right now (with the whiteboards) and there are a few glitches,” Lee said. “The hope is to have the entire building, by next year, with interactive projectors.”

Second grade teacher Christa Misiak uses both the whiteboard system and Chromebooks in her classroom, including using the systems together to play games with the students.

For a math portion of the class Misiak employs a quiz game where students answer math questions over the computers. Students are awarded points for correct answers and students are given higher scores depending on how quickly the answers are provided.

“We often use Chromebooks throughout the day, they really enjoy it,” she said. “They let them review things that the learn throughout the day.”

Misiak said the technology will give students skills they need for the future.

“They need to learn skills and technology changes every day,” she said.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.

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