ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP —
A pilot technology project at Edgewood Senior High School last month used students’ cell phones as learning devices.
Superintendent Nancy Williams reported on the three-week, voluntary project that involved seven teachers and at least 107 students.
Williams said each week of the pilot, teachers were asked to implement three activities that required cell phones as a research or response tool.
“It was somewhat of a challenge because we are not wireless at the high school,” she said. Nevertheless, about 84 percent of the students had a cell phone that could be used in the class.
One of the activities involved using polleverywhere.com, an Internet-based service that allows cell phone users to provide input to the instructor.
At the end of the pilot project, both teachers and students were surveyed to determine the effectiveness of the technology in learning. Williams said 53 percent of the students who responded said it was very effective and 31 percent it was somewhat effective as a learning tool.
Lack of connectivity or a poor connection were listed as the learning method’s biggest disadvantages.
Williams told the board that teachers did not list student behavior as a major challenge, at least from their perspective.
More pilot technology projects are in the works for the coming school year. iPads, laptops and student-owned devices will be used in some English, algebra I, geometry, and probability and statistics classes. Some forensic science, health and anatomy classes will use iPads, as well.
The most challenging classes for teachers are those where students will bring their own devices, which could range from aging laptops to Smart Phones and iPads. The probability and statistics teacher will face that challenge.
The results from the mathematics classes will be of particular interest to the board as it is facing a decision on new mathematics books for the district. If the pilot project of eBooks and iText options is embraced by students and teachers, the board may be swayed to go electronic for that textbook purchase, a major investment.
Technology will be a major focus in the district throughout the next school year, Williams said. At the junior high, the old sewing lab has been converted to a computer lab. Seventh- and eighth-grade students will alternate computer education, health and physical education classes so they have computer instruction every other day. All the students in those grades will be studying the same concepts at the same time. The new approach will allow teachers to integrate the students’ technology learning with other interdisciplinary units.
At the elementary level, teachers will receive the fourth round of Mimeo, or electronic white board, training. Williams said that at least 30 of the district’s 38 core academic teachers have a Mimeo in their classrooms.
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