Computers enhancing many facets of education

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In the summer of 2008, Morris Elementary District 54 received an Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) grant through the No Child Left Behind Act.

The district installed two SSMaRT learning labs to bring an innovative science curriculum to third- through eighth-grade students in the district.

While the district suffered setbacks with the lab at Shabbona Junior High, which set it's start time closer to November than the beginning of the school year, it was still utilized for the rest of the 2008-2009 school year. The goal was to determine if there would be a significant difference for students using the lab when they tested on their ISAT and MAP tests.

The district set up control groups of students and teachers who did not use the labs to see what effect, if any, the lab would have. The findings show that, all students, whether or not they utilized the lab, had similar gains on the tests.

Superintendent Teri Shaw said Monday that, while the summary showed there was no significant difference, it was a positive for the girls and students with Individualized Educational Programs.

She said students in those groups tend to not progress in science as much as male students.

The computers purchased through the grant are now being used as hands-on science labs for all students from fifth grade on.

"Everyone is in the lab, from fifth grade through eighth grade," Shaw said. "The remainder of the computers are being used for all students."

A Dell laptop mobile lab has been established with 16 new laptops.

Tom Talarico reported in a letter to the board the new mobile lab is about 10 times faster than the old mobile lab at Shabbona. The lab is able to be signed out by teachers from the library and taken to classrooms, where students will be able to use them at their desks.

In addition to the mobile lab, a Dell lab was created at Shabbona.

Shaw said the teachers who were coached have taken some of the strategies learned and are using them for cooperative learning in the regular classroom.

"For example, the team concept of problem solving places groups of four students together to solve their problem," she said. "Each student has a role to play in the problem-solving process."

The exploration lab at White Oak is being used to teach Singapore Math.

"Mr. Carter and Mr. Popidinski in the fifth grade are teaching Singapore Math as an outgrowth of the project," Shaw said. "The class is designed to develop critical thinking skills."

In addition to the math class, one teacher has utilized the lab, in addition to her classroom, as the students read "39 Clues."

After reading the book, they go online to look for clues.

She said Spanish is also being taught to students in the lab, which is new for the district.

"It would have been interesting to see the results of other schools," Board Vice President Carol Narvick said.

District 54 was the only one using the program as an assessment of science scores on the tests.

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