Loading...The Episcopal School of Knoxville now provides its Middle School students the opportunity to brings iPads and laptops to class each day as a part of its recently launched FLEx 1:1 program.
FLEx refers to the free-platform learning exchange; a program open to iOS, Mac, Windows and Linux devices used for collaboration and innovation in learning. The goal for technology integration at ESK is to create an environment in which students learn to adapt, collaborate and innovate using technology throughout the learning process.
“Having each student with their own device in the classroom has simply perked up the students and allowed them to experience learning the same way they interact with their friends,” Middle School Latin teacher Curtis Bower said. “One of them even said that taking notes is fun now.”
ESK spent much of the fall planning for the FLEx initiative with upgrades to wireless networks, firewall and content filtering, and expansion of campus bandwidth. Funding for infrastructure improvements, workshops and other aspects of the FLEx program was provided through a generous grant from the Jane L. Pettway Foundation.
Unique to the FLEx program at ESK, Director of Technology Julie King made it a priority to provide students with the necessary skills and applications to best prepare students to use technology in effective, collaborative and creative ways.
In August, students began participating in ESK’s FLEx Academy, a course custom-designed to prepare students in study and organization skills, digital research strategies and online safety awareness. The course is co-taught by technology, literature, language arts and library faculty members.
Students have already begun using ESK’s Google Apps for Education domain, with Google Drive to create, edit and share documents for collaboration with other students and feedback from teachers. Edmodo groups are also being used with classes and projects to create an online forum for questions and idea sharing.
Math teachers Barb Quaint and Laurie Coburn use the Penultimate and Reflection apps to create and share instruction and lessons with students using their digital whiteboards. Social Studies teacher Stephanie McIntosh integrates students’ iPads and laptops in digital research presentations for their Model UN projects. Students in Mary Lovely’s Literature class use Comic Life on iPads to create graphic novels of the book they read together and Bower’s Latin classes were able to learn a reproduction of the Roman Forum created with Minecraft.
“The whole research and writing intensive process inherent in the (Model UN) project was greatly expedited through the successful use of technology,” McIntosh said. “The students remained engaged and excited about using their own devices.”
