Visitors see technology in classroom

Saturday, November 21, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Kathy Chaffin

kchaffin@salisburypost.com

About 65 people — including field representatives of Apple Inc., school officials from across North Carolina and local school administrators — visited three 21st century model classrooms and an iPod Touch program in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Friday.

Dr. William C. Harrison, chairman of the N.C. Board of Education, was part of the tour, which was arranged by Apple to introduce educators to the technology being used in Rowan-Salisbury schools.

Harrison said afterward that his impression of the programs was “very, very favorable.”

“It’s exciting,” he said. “It’s about engaging students in learning, and what I saw all day long was students engaged.”

Students the group observed at Carson and North high schools and Cleveland Elementary School all seemed excited, he said. “They were on task, and that’s what it’s all about.”

In kindergarten through the fifth grades, Harrison said most students are excited about learning. “Somehow we lose them at some point in time,” he said, “and this is how we can keep their attention and keep them excited with the use of technology. Rowan-Salisbury is truly one of the leaders in the state.”

The tour group met at North Rowan High School at 8 a.m. and rode an activity bus to Carson High School. There, half the group went to observe Amie Furr’s classroom and the other half Katie Steen’s classroom, then switched rooms.

Furr and Steen were among the system’s six original 21st Century model classroom teachers. Furr was preparing her students for a conference call with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr at 9:15 a.m.

“Guys, please say Senator Burr,” she said. “Don’t say ‘Yo.’ “ Burr’s call came in right on time, and his voice was as loud and clear as if he was in the room. Burr told the students he would have liked to have been with them in person, but was attending to issues in Washington.

As the senator answered students’ questions, the class blogged about his responses on their laptops.

When McKenzie Wofford asked what someone should do to prepare to run for Senate, Burr responded, “McKenzie, do me a favor. Will you wait until I’m through to run? I’ve got enough people trying to do it now.”

Burr said a person must have three traits to be an effective elected official: character, conviction and commitment. Character can be measured by “Can people trust you?” he said. Conviction is “What do you believe inside?” and commitment is “How hard are you willing to work?”

In answer to a question by Brielle Porcello about how he felt about technology in the classroom, Burr responded, “I almost have the impression my staff gave you that question.”

The senator said he went paperless a number of years ago and was “almost a technology freak.”

Though he admitted he was hesitant to say so in front of school officials, Burr said, “I’m still trying to figure out why we buy textbooks in education and why we still use paper.”

After learning about national government from Burr, the students asked questions about municipal government during a conference call with China Grove Mayor Don Bringle. Early in the class, students used Active Votes to respond to questions about what they had learned about municipal government, with the answers electronically tallied and displayed in graph form on Furr’s Promethean Interactive Whiteboard.

At Cleveland Elementary School, the visiting group saw how 21st century classroom teacher Joy Jenkins uses technology in her third-grade classes. “It has transformed my teaching,” she said, “and it’s transformed the kids and it’s transformed how we look at school.”

In the first of three classroom stops, students were so intent in working on their yearlong digital textbook projects that they barely noticed the visitors.

“They’re definitely not bothered by other people,” said Kay Wright Norman, a former teacher and member of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education.

Students, however, were happy to answer questions by members of the group. Desirae Culbertson said she was recording the multiples of 2 in GarageBand, an Apple software application. “It’s fun,” she said. “I love it with the technology.”

New technology is one reason Desirae said she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. “I think it’s fun like writing on the Whiteboard,” she said.

Allison Ratledge said she enjoys hearing her own voice in the recordings and loves the technology, but doesn’t want to teach. She would rather be a firefighter.

Norman said the children seemed to be empowered by the technology.

Jenkins, this year’s Rowan-Salisbury Teacher of the Year, had iPods available in the next classroom so the group could experience firsthand some of the lessons she has recorded. Student Angelina Wilson greeted visitors at the door with a bottle of hand sanitizer to keep from getting or spreading germs via the iPods.

One of the offerings available on the iPods was a lesson in cursive writing by Jenkins. “Take a look,” she says on the podcast while explaining how to write the letter “e” in cursive. It goes up, around and down, she says, “kind of like a roller coaster ride.”

Jenkins worked with the school’s guidance counselors on a lesson on bullying. Students recorded their own stories and illustrated them with Kid Pix, also by Apple.

One of the stories was recorded by Angelina: “A friend would be polite.”

“My friend, Guadalupe, doesn’t bully, and that’s a good thing. You need to share with and trust your friends. Everybody likes people to be kind and be a good friend.

“I would share, help and be nice to be a good friend. Do not brag about something.”

It didn’t take long for the visitors to the classrooms to become as engaged with the iPods as the students in the last classroom were with their digital textbooks. Fourth graders who were in Jenkins class last year walked around giving assistance.

“If you need any help with your iPod, I’m here,” said Cade Sells.

In the third classroom, visitors listened to a recording of Jenkins singing lyrics about Apple technology to the tune of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.”

The song started out, “Students keep on learning. Teachers keep on teaching...” and toward the end addresses the technology, “We’ve got the tools. Take a bite of the Apple and you’ll see. Come on, take a bite. Take an even bigger bite ...”

After lunch, the group headed back to North Rowan High School, where they observed classrooms using iPods, laptops and Active Votes.

Students in Jeff Shuping’s law and justice class used Active Votes to respond to multiple-choice questions about famous quotes, then watched as graphs on the Promethean Interactive Whiteboard measured the votes. Shuping could even tell how long it took each student to answer .

They heard part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech when Shuping downloaded it on his laptop.

In Natalie Wittich’s class, her former student, Chrissy Holderfield, said she talked into and typed into her iPod during class last year to use in studying “instead of having to go home and read a book.”

Students in Zach Greene’s English I class also used iPods and laptops in their study of William Shakespeare.

Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.