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On Wednesday, November 2, 2011, four
Onekama Consolidated Schools students and two teachers traveled to
Lansing to present at the 2011 MACUL Student Technology Showcase. OHS
Seniors Jaylee Brown and Lindsay Nesburg, and OES second graders Maegan
Hrachovina and Mairin McCarthy, along with Onekama teachers Nicole
Torrey and Ben Mauntler, made the trip to Lansing armed with student
iPads and excitement to share what they have been working on with other
students and educators. The
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) is
non-profit organization dedicated to bringing educators together to
share their knowledge and concerns regarding educational uses of
computers and technology. During the day-long Student Technology
Showcase at the Michigan State Capitol Building, 50-60 teams of K-12
students are invited to help lawmakers, business leaders, students,
teachers, and other citizens see first-hand how technology is used in
classrooms across Michigan.
Students from Onekama High School
and Onekama Elementary School were selected to present at the conference
and share the ways technology has strengthened their curriculum. In past
years, Onekama students demonstrated projects involving laptop computers
and a variety of software. This year, the students showcased the results
of the school’s 70 new iPad tablet computers, and the ways their
teachers have used this technology to enhance their learning.
“IPads have made it easier for
our class to access our assignments,” explained student Jaylee Brown.
“They have provided us with endless opportunities to learn.”
Second grader Mairin McCarthy
commented, “I love using the iPads and so does everyone in my class. In
Lansing, we got to show people videos that we made in class with our
iPads, and show them some of the learning games and activities that we
can do. We even made new videos while we were in Lansing and showed
people how we did it.”
Onekama High School English
teacher Nicole Torrey was impressed with the students’ conduct at the
conference and appreciated the opportunity for her students to showcase
their learning. “Our school has offered numerous opportunities for
students to use technology every day, and as a result, our students are
doing some pretty interesting activities and lessons with technology,”
said Torrey.
“The iPad is one more piece of
technology that allows us to enhance learning in exciting and effective
ways,” added Torrey. “In my classroom, we use the iPads for a variety of
everyday classroom activities, from the morning journal and warm-up, to
class lessons and activities, and even as a way to communicate better
with the students.”
The technology showcase was a
chance for Onekama students to share their learning, and to learn from
other students and their classroom experiences.
“I love being able to see how
other schools are thriving through technology and showing them how our
own school is embracing it,” commented Senior Lindsay Nesburg. “It's
just one way we can relate to other schools in our state and an
opportunity to learn and grow from each other academically. The fresh
ideas and knowledge we gain from the showcase is an excellent way to get
students excited about learning. When there are fun, modern approaches
to learning it makes it that much easier to understand.” |
