(Addison, VT) Teachers at Addison Elementary School are using the tools Digital Wish provided them this past year to further enrich their curriculum. Students in grades 4-6 have been studying Newton’s Laws in the classroom, but were searching for a project to share that would really emphasize what they’d learned. Teachers took their newfound knowledge of stop-motion animation and supplemented their Newton’s Laws curriculum by having their students create stop-motion videos with the topic of Newton’s Laws. Tying in technology use to the pre-determined curriculum is exactly what Digital Wish had in mind when they provided Addison Elementary with more than 50 netbooks and weekly technology training throughout the 2011-2012 school year.
Wayne Howe, Principal at Addison Elementary School, was very impressed by the way the teachers have integrated technology into the classrooms. He explained, “Before Digital Wish, perhaps we’d ramp up for one project using the Internet. Now they’re just regularly going online to check things out, to see what’s true, what’s not true.” The netbooks allow students to access the Internet on a more regular basis, making it a great research tool and at this point, almost a necessity for the classrooms.
1:1 computing seems to have been filled with positive reactions from the community since its inception. Parents, board members, and community members have expressed their thanks for this opportunity and have discussed how it benefits the community as a whole. It’s one more reason students graduating from Addison Elementary School will be better prepared in the future to tackle Junior High, High School, and College.
Wayne Howe summarizes his experiences with Digital Wish and the 1:1 computing grant through e-Vermont. “I am just so grateful that we were in the right place at the right time to snatch this up. It’s been perfect for us.” Technology use will continue on into the future at Addison Elementary School thanks to the dedication of the teachers and the supporting administration.