Laptops open new doors to learning at Jacobs Fork

You won’t see one group of students at Jacobs Fork Middle School using pencils and paper to work on their assignments any longer. Instead, they’re using laptops to do their work.

While the concept is something that’s common in colleges, it’s very new for middle schools. The middle school’s seventh and eighth grade team got the idea after they went to ASU last year and worked in a virtual world environment on a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiative.

“We wondered how we were going to provide enough technology for everyone,” said Heather Deal, who is the language arts and science teacher for the team.

Jacobs Fork Principal Jeff Isenhour suggested that allowing students bring in their own laptops if they had them.

There were some problems at first, such as not enough power plugs for every computer — causing kids to rush to class so they could get there plug in their laptop, said David Shook, social studies teacher. However, now there are power reels and bars, so every child can be plugged in.

When students are not using their computers, they’re locked up in their homeroom.

And for students who don’t have their own laptop — about half of the students have their own — there’s a cart with school netbooks they can use.

Math teacher Michelle Sims said there’s no social stigma for the students who don’t have their own laptops. Only eight of the students in her class have their own computers.

In Shook’s class, if a student doesn’t have their own, then they have first choice of who their partner will be.

The classes also make use of in-house technology. There is an email system set up through Catawba County Schools called Gaggle, which Jacobs Fork Middle School teachers and students communicate with each other on. Students have their own “digital lockers” online, where they can store their homework assignments and other information. When they complete class work or a homework assignment, they can move it into their teacher’s locker, Isenhour said.

“I like this more, because we get work done faster,” said student Michael Young.

Shook agreed.

“We’re moving at a quicker pace than last year, and not at a detriment to the students,” he said. “They’re grasping the material better.”

Sims agreed.

“We’re able to grasp what the kids are having trouble with and fine-tune it,” she said. “The technology lets me get to stuff in greater depth.”

Student Emma Luckadoo said she enjoys getting to use computers and technology in class every day.

“It’s going to be really hard to go back to a notebook in high school,” she said.

Deal said one of the benefits of students using laptops is that she doesn’t have to lug home the 20 or more notebooks from the students eaach night.

Madison Speagle said she was happy to learn the school was expanding its use of technology.

“It was fun and exciting when I heard we’d be using laptops,” she said. “And we do use paper tests some, but we mostly use our laptops.”

The teachers try to post all of their assignments on their class websites before class.

All papers are online, as are all homework assignments in Shook’s class. He said there is no reason students in his class should not be prepared, or should not be able to turn something in.

And while you might think that students would have problems following policies or procedures that are in place regarding computer usage, staff says that hasn’t been a problem.

“Mostly, there’s been technical problems, such as software or file conversions,” Isenhour said. “We’ve had no disciplinary problems.”

Part of that may be because students helped establish the rules for what was acceptable.

“The kids developed the rules — and the consequences,” Shook said. After eight times of being off-task, several groups of students wanted the kids expelled. We decided on demerits and parent contact instead.”

Young admits there are other safeguards in place that help.

“They have some stuff that are locked, like Facebook and YouTube,” he said.

Heidi Robinson said she’s more interested in doing her schoolwork than goofing off in class.

“It’s more fun to do when you have technology,” she said.

Isenhour said another part of what has helped make the program a success is that parents are supporting it, as are the kids.

“The kids are already thinking down the road,” he said. “And it’s opened so many more doors for us, and created an environment where people work together.”