COLUMBUS, Ohio – A handful of Clear Fork Colts traveled to Columbus on Thursday to introduce the use of technology at Clear Fork Valley Local Schools, thanks to grant funds from the state’s Straight A Fund.
The Ohio Statehouse Rotunda provided the backdrop for Clear Fork Social Studies teacher Brian Kinnard and three of his students to present the use of their grant funds to interested parties at the Straight A Fund Innovation Conference, complete with a Chromebook demonstration. Kinnard said even Representative Mark Romanchuk and Senator Larry Obhof stopped by the Clear Fork booth.
“We’re kind of changing the way kids are experiencing their education,” said Kinnard. “It’s not so much the brick and mortar, textbook all the time. Now it’s a combination of the technology with a lot of resources out there on the Internet, and melding that into what you’re covering. It allows the kids to expand their horizons and see what is beyond the textbook.”
Launched in 2013, Gov. John Kasich proposed a Straight A Fund to help Ohio schools initiate creative new ideas for improving education. Ohio’s Straight A Fund supports ideas from local educators that promote academic achievement and economic efficiencies within schools and districts. Only 37 grant applicants received a total of $144.6 million, $5.4 million of which was set aside for transportation and local initiatives.
Clear Fork Valley Local Schools earned $221,200 from the Straight A Fund grant, in partnership with Ashland University, Clear Fork High School, Knox County ESC and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. iPads were purchased for the middle school and Chromebooks for high school students, and teachers work to develop engaging online courses in math, English, science, social studies, foreign language and the arts.
Clear Fork High School seniors Ellyse Shafer, Samantha Wander and Callie Fry each said they wished the Chromebooks had been around when they were freshmen. The three students were very involved in giving presentations and explaining the use of the grant funds to booth visitors.
“I think it’s helped us become better students, we have constant reminders of our assignments, and it’s helped overall,” said Wander.
Shafer explained through the use of Google applications students can easily share class notes, turn in assignments and communicate with their teachers.
“We’re not losing the factor of student-teacher interaction,” said Shafer. “And our school district is kind of underfunded, a lot of kids are on free or reduced lunches. So with the Chromebooks only being a $25 usage fee, it takes away the parents having to pay for a computer. Everyone has the same opportunity.”
“So far kids are loving it,” added Kinnard. “It’s more engaging for them, they’re more involved. Students are turning in more of their work, which is fantastic, and it really allows for them to be more creative with their processes with assignments. They’ve got online discussions, they can submit assignments online, and it allows the teacher to provide feedback and edit on documents.”
Shafer, Wander and Fry each noted they also see the advantage of using technology as students transition to higher levels of education.
“In the middle school they have iPads, so when they’re transitioning from the middle school to the high school and going back to paper and pencil, the Chromebooks have made that transition easier and will make the transition into college easier, too,” said Shafer.
“I’m a post-secondary student and in my college classes everything is online. So I think with these Chromebooks and the students coming up in the years ahead they’ll get used to doing work on the Chromebooks so when they do go to college it’s not a transition from paper and pencil to the computer. It’ll be an easier transition so they’ll do better in college,” added Fry.
Clear Fork High School Principal Brian Brown said that while some teachers are still apprehensive and unsure of how to utilize the technology, overall the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I think the way we’re doing this grant is the right way to use technology in schools,” said Brown. “It makes the teachers more effective, and it extends the classroom beyond the normal school day.”
“It’s really going to change the way education is,” said Kinnard. “In 10 years it’s going to look very different from what it does now.”
“I think it’s helped us become better students, we have constant reminders of our assignments, and it’s helped overall,” said Clear Fork student Samantha Wander of the school’s new Chromebooks.
