The Citizen, 2013-12-05, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013.CHSS presents feeder school students with iPads
Who needs a fork?
Three-year-old Willem Van Nes took a different approach to his piece
of pie over the weekend as St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in
Brussels held its annual bazaar. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Grade 7 and 8 students
from Hullett Central Public
School will have a leg up
entering high school for the
next several years as a pilot
project will outfit them with
the latest and greatest in
technology.
The students were informed
by their teachers Mr. John
Coups (Grade 7/8) and Mrs.
Sarah Gerber (Grade 8) on
Wednesday, Nov. 27 that they
would be receiving Apple
iPads from the Avon Maitland
District School Board
(AMDSB) as part of a pilot
project that will see all Grade
7 and 8 students from feeder
schools for Central Huron
Secondary School equipped
with the devices.
The feeder schools include
Hullett Central, Clinton,
Seafoth and Huron
Centennial public schools.
Gerber explained to the two
assembled classes that the
tablet personal computers will
belong to the school board,
but also be the property of the
students.
“You have it to use for
school,” she said. “But it will
go home with you and you
will carry it with you into
high school.”
Coups added the devices
will be the responsibility of
the students, stating they will
have to charge it, remember it
for classes and are
responsible for any
damages that occur
outside the two-year
warranty that will
accompany them.
“These will follow
you into high school,” he said.“They are your iPads untilGrade 10.”It was later explained byPrincipal Cathy Goetz andTrustee Robert Hunking thatthe iPads would be in thepossession of the studentsuntil they graduate and
possibly beyond.
If, however, the student
does not graduate, or leaves
the school board, they have to
return the iPad.
For their part, the students
in the classroom couldn't
quite grasp the idea they were
being given the pieces of
technology, asking multiple
questions about when and
where they could and couldn't
have the products, to which
Coups responded, “They are
yours, they are your iPad.”
The goal of the project,
according to Gerber, is to
have every student at CHSS
using an iPad in class in the
next four to five years.
The teachers will also
receive an iPad to help them
plan how the students should
be using their new
technology.
AMDSB Director of
Communication Steve Howe
explained that while the iPads
will belong to the children,
the scope of the project is yet
to be finalized.
He explained that students
may be given upgrades if the
current models are deemed
outdated and, if so, the
replacement models may be
required to be returned to the
school board to be re-used.
He also said that the students
may have to return the devices
for maintenance.
Grade 9 students who comefrom other school boards toCentral Huron SecondarySchool won’t be left outeither, according to Howe.They will be issued a devicewhen they started school.“We look at this as a way oflevelling the playing field,”
Howe said. “This way
everyone can use the
technology instead of only
having the people who can
afford them using them.”
Grade 8 student Carson
Richmond and Grade 7
student Michaela Rodgers
spoke with The Citizen
regarding the iPads, which
they are slated to received as a
late Christmas present when
they return to school in the
new year.
“I felt surprised [at the
announcement],” Richmond
said, adding it feels good
knowing he’s going to get to
keep it.
Richmond said he hopes
students will remember to use
them mostly for educational
purposes, but also pointed out
there aren't any problems with
the students who currently
use iPads.
“I have my own, I use it for
Google Drive for typing, for
the calculator and for
French,” he said adding he
has had his for about a year
and it has really helped him in
class.
Rodgers also has had one of
her own for near a year. Both
said approximately half of
their classmates already own
or use an iPad.
“It can be more online and
we won’t have to use as much
paper,” he said.
When announcing theprogram, Superintendent ofEducation Mike Ashexplained students were beinggiven the technology to makethem better digital citizensand impress upon them theimportance of being aware ofthe validity of information on
the internet.
Goetz agreed, stating, in an
interview with The Citizen,
beyond using verified
information, she also believes
the students will be
responsible when it comes to
how they use the iPads.
“I think they will use them
for learning,” she said. “There
is enough out there for them
to learn and not be tempted to
play games.”
The statement is backed up
by the fact the school allows
students to use iPads and,
currently, she says they have
no problem with students not
paying attention.
“I go into classrooms and I
don’t see games, I see them
using it as a learning tool,”
she said.
Richmond agreed, stating
he doesn’t think students will
be caught playing with the
devices.
“I don’t think they will play
any games on the iPads,” he
said. “If they do, they will be
taken away. That’s the way it
works now.”
The new technology will
also allow existing
technology to be spread out
among the younger grades,
including the netbooks, or
small laptops, the students
have been using thus far.
Richmond said it would be
1-888-646-1820
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IT’S TIME THEY MOVED
OUT OF THE BASEMENT.
Tech savvy
Michalea Rodgers, left, and Carson Richmond sat down with The Citizen to
talk about the recent announcement that their school, Hullett Central Public
School, along with other feeder schools for Central Huron Secondary School
(CHSS), would be part of a pilot project that would see each Grade 7 and 8
student receive an iPad for them to use until graduation from CHSS. While
the students each have their own iPad that they already use at school, they
think the program will be great for all the students involved. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued on page 26