Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Our Digital Conversion

The introduction of a 1-to-1 laptop initiative is only part of a sweeping districtwide commitment to the learning of every student.
BY MARK EDWARDS 
Imagine being part of a school district where children choose to come in early from recess to do schoolwork, a place where student engagement is so contagious it has overtaken the faculty and staff, a district where the focus is truly on every child every day.
Many would contend such an ideal culture simply doesn’t or can’t exist in today’s public schools. I would say they haven’t been to Mooresville, N.C.
While walking down a hallway at Mooresville Intermediate School not long ago, I suddenly heard a commotion behind me. I turned to see three young boys pushing through the back door into the school, running as fast as they could — an action that rekindled the principal in me. “Whoa, slow down, gentlemen! What is going on?” I asked.
In excited and urgent tones, they all spoke at once. The sum of their urgent explanation: “We have been monitoring earthquakes on Seismic.com, and we think one is about to happen! Can we go in our room and show you?”
Feature_MarkEdwards
Mark Edwards
We quickly moved into the nearby classroom, where one of the 6th graders opened up his laptop. He went to his bookmarks and clicked on Seismic.com, where he found a link to a map of Southeast Asia. One boy began explaining, “Each place that you see a light blinking …” But then all three boys yelled at the same time, “It’s happening right now!” They pointed to a light that had just started blinking.

To read the complete article, click here.

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