Carver Heights awarded grant for students' iPads
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 31, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Latia Gaddy, 8, works on an adapted learning computer assignment in the computer lab in a third-grade class at Carver Heights Elementary Wednesday.
Christmas is coming early to Carver Heights Elementary School.
The school learned this week that it is one of 114 schools in 29 states named the recipient of a ConnectED grant -- with each student to receive an iPad, every teacher and administrator to get an iPad and a MacBook, and each classroom to be outfitted with an Apple TV.
The advanced technology means students will have more tools to succeed, school officials said.
"This grant will have a tremendous impact on our students and our greater community," Principal William Vann III said. "Not only will every student receive an iPad for instruction, but this grant will provide our school with instructional software and professional development for our teachers and school leadership."
Teachers will also have more opportunities to participate in webinars and access additional teacher websites, Elementary Curriculum Specialist Julie West said.
The application process to obtain the grant was extensive, she said. Carver Heights was eligible to apply because more than 96 percent of its student population is classified as receiving a free or reduced price lunch. The K-4 school has about 320 students and 25 teachers.
Only two schools from North Carolina received grants. The other was Rochelle Middle School in Kinston.
The equipment has not been delivered yet, but Mrs. West said representatives have already assessed the school's infrastructure needed to support the additional technology.
"Apple will take care of all that, but there won't be additional expense for the school or the school system," she said. "It all comes with a great deal of staff development as well as three years of repair service."
The schoolwide gifts will have far-reaching effects, Mrs. West said.
"They'll utilize (them) in the classroom to increase student engagement," she said. "They actually can take assessments, which allows teachers to track their progress. They can look at the data reports and address individual student weaknesses."
And while students can access information resources at their respective desks, ultimately they will have the world at their fingertips.
"There are just a variety of websites that they can visit, not to mention things like Google Earth, because our children are missing a lot of exposure," Mrs. West said. "They haven't been to Raleigh. They haven't been to the beach. But by using Google Earth, they can look at things around the world.
"It's opening a world for both our students and our teachers."