By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
A month into its first year of providing one-to-one computer access to all students in grades K through 12, Burlington Area School District Technology Director Scott Christensen is thrilled.
“It sounds bad to say it went better than expected,” said Christensen Monday night at a BASD School Board Curriculum Committee meeting, adding that many school districts have horror stories about the rollout.
“It’s been very seamless, I think,” he added.
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade each have their own Chromebook for school-only use, while the high school students are able to take the computers home each night.
The same filters for social media and appropriate content are built into the computers no matter where they gain WiFi access, and students are getting to experience a number of different learning opportunities.
According to Christensen, students are now taking quizzes online with instant grading and feedback to what they got right and wrong, and videos are being provided to students to aid in the lessons in various classes.
Teachers, using the Google Classroom program, are able to see students learn in “real time,” and plan lessons around the technology.
Christensen said all teachers were required to complete either a custom Google Skills class for BASD, or gain Google Certification Level 1. Those who got the latter earn a $100 stipend for the more rigorous course.
-
-
-
-
-