Getting Technologically Savvy at Peake Elementary
by Nicole McPhate
The fourth and fifth graders at Peake Elementary are getting a unique opportunity that many elementary schools have yet to experience: Apple iPads. Nikki Thomas, Peake’s principal, shared that the school recently bought two iPad carts. Each cart contains 30 iPads, plus an iPad for every teacher. The carts also have an Apple Macbook that will allow the iPads to be synced with applications and other teaching tools.
Ms. Thomas has attended multiple conferences which share that “new tech standards are coming with the Common Core.” The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a new initiative that is developing a teaching framework that will better prepare students for college and the workforce. In this new set of standards, technology will be a growing factor and Peake plans to be ahead of the curve.
With the iPads, teachers will be able to build lesson plans that will encourage hands-on learning, as well as provide “real-life and relevant projects,” according to Thomas. Thomas went on to give an example as to what students will be able to do with this new technology. She stated that students will be able to plan a trip that would involve learning about geography and calculating expenses such as gas milage and food.
Ms. Thomas hopes that with getting technology into the hands of her students, through the use of iPads, they will be prepared for the new Common Core standards when they are implemented in the coming years. For more information about the Common Core Standards Initiative, you can visit: http://www.corestandards.org.
