The Amazing Future Of E.D. White Education
David C. Boudreaux and Michelle Chiasson, E. D. White principal, with three 9th grade students: Cody LeBouef, Andre Broussard, and John Hue; discussed the iPad program for the 2012-2013 school year.
In the 21st century, understanding and using technology will be an integral part of virtually every aspect of daily life. It is our school’s responsibility to prepare students for this future. Our holistic approach to education is based on the belief that a young person learns from his or her whole experience.
The classroom is the primary place where this preparation will occur; therefore, every classroom must be equipped with diverse technologies to support teaching and learning. Every teacher must be knowledgeable and skilled in the use of these technologies in daily instruction. When integrated into instruction, technology will support new strategies for teaching and learning by addressing diverse learning styles, accommodating individual learning rates, helping students accept responsibility for their learning, providing the means to communicate globally, and improving academic achievement. .
Why iPad?
In addition to the amazing educational apps that may be downloaded on the iPad, it has the ability to perform the following functions:
▪ Create, read, edit, and produce a full set of Microsoft Office compatible documents
▪ Create dramatic video presentations
▪ Perform wide-ranging internet-based research
▪ Utilize subject-specific apps to engage the students in the learning process
▪ Take class notes including PDF annotation
▪ Save and retrieve files through Cloud-based storage such as DropBox
▪ Create simple and complex graphic organizer
▪ Read e-books and textbooks
After years of research, four parent informational meetings, a parent survey, and discussion by the E. D. White Advisory Council, our school will implement an iPad program for the 2012-2013 school year. The iPad has the potential to greatly enhance the way teachers teach and the way students learn.
Students can take part in the school’s lease purchase plan through Apple or bring an iPad 2 from home. They are to be Wi-Fi only without 3G capability. All iPads will connect to the school’s network and internet filtering software.
