EUGENE, Mo. - Fifth-graders at Eugene Elementary School have twice as many computers in their classroom for taking Accelerated Reading tests this year.
Each teacher in the district was provided with a Chromebook to help with their lesson preparation, becoming acclimated to the new technology and future planning for a device-driven learning environment.
Carla Ousley and her fellow teachers are mostly young and technologically competent. So she looks forward to the day when students will have more access to devices for learning, beyond the school's three computer labs.
As a member of the technology committee, she hopes to see mobile computer labs coming soon.
At some point, "ideally, every student here will have a device, either provided or bring-your-own," Ousley said.
For now, the laptop along with the one desktop per classroom will offer more opportunities for students to become comfortable using the technology for learning, such as the touchscreen.
In particular, Ousley is hoping to get her students ready for the state's spring standardized tests, which will be taken solely on computers this year.
"It's going to be an adjustment; but our fifth-graders are tech-savvy," Ousley said.
Third- through sixth-grade classes attend a typing class every fourth day, alternating with art, music and physical education. That should help prepare them for paragraph writing.
"The kids love using the Chromebook," Ousley said. "And it's nice having an extra computer in the room."
The staff is being trained on other ways to incorporate the technology, such as using the Google Docs program, she said.
In addition to Accelerated Reader tests, students have been able to research science reports and check on their progress in the Class Dojo incentive program.
"The kids will wait for this computer over the older one," Ousley said.