Shopper news • JUNE 10, 2013 • A-11
Shopper News Presents Miracle Makers
Technology is big boost for Corryton By Jake Mabe Emma Patterson was in her classroom when she heard the news. Luke Warwick was sick at home, but the news made him feel a whole lot better. Principal Jamie Snyder was watching the live feed of the results with 5th grade students. “I think I felt the school shake,” Snyder says. The school is Corryton Elementary. And the news was that the school had successfully applied through the School Technology Challenge to be one of 11 Knox County schools that will receive a 1:1 wireless connection and personal learning devices, which will be piloted during the 2013-14 school year. Emma, 9, is a rising 4th-grader. Luke, 10, is a rising 5th-grader. Both helped deliver Corryton’s sales pitch to the committee that decided which schools would receive the technology. “They were much calmer than the adults that were presenting,” Snyder says. “It was a lot of hard work. We had to put that presentation together in two days. And these folks,” she said, pointing to Emma and Luke, “helped us with their hard work.” Luke talked about a robotics grant that the school had received and said the robot helped him and his classmates learn about geometry and science. “We had to build the robot, so we really had to follow the instructions,” Luke says. Emma told the committee why she thought the school needed the technology. “We’re already using it at home for entertainment. We can use it for learning.” “It’s a different way to learn and a fun way to learn,” Luke says. “It will ultimately allow us to connect learning in a very different way for kids,” Snyder says. “The standards we are teaching won’t change, but the way we present the learning will change.” Snyder adds that children learn in different ways. Some enjoy flipping pages in a book. Others like the quick pace of an ebook. The new technology will allow teachers to tailor instruction to each student’s individual needs. “We can do both!” Luke said. Snyder and other Corryton Elementary staff members attended a weeklong professional development initiative at Bearden High School last week. “This whole week has been, ‘How do we do it?’ Our kids know more than we do. We have to figure out how to blend it (into the curriculum) and what that looks like as a presentation in front of the classroom. We’re going to be learning side by side. The kids
Corryton Elementary School rising 5th-grader Luke Warwick, principal Jamie Snyder and rising 4th-grader Emma Patterson work on a couple of e-devices. Corryton is one of 11 Knox County schools chosen through the School Technology Challenge to pilot new technology. Snyder and other Corryton staff members attended a week-long professional development initiative at Bearden High last week. Luke and Emma helped deliver the school’s sales pitch during the Challenge earlier this year. Photos by Jake Mabe will tell us what they need and we can show them the pathways to make that happen.” Snyder says as an administrator she was excited last week to watch how excited her teachers became during the training sessions. “These folks are amazing. They are willing to take on anything that comes their way.” Last week’s session focused on the philosophy and theory of teaching through connectivity, Snyder said. “At a follow-up in late July/early August, we will hopefully know what (electronic) device has been selected and figure out how to make it work in the classroom.” Snyder said participants got a preview last week. “They showed us one whole day of a paradigm change and what it’s going to feel like because it is new. And we’re going to make mistakes. That’s
Emma Patterson shows her technological skills on an iPad.
OK. We’ll learn from our mistakes and move forward.” She says it’s particularly exciting for a small school like Corryton to receive not only the new technology, but two full-time staff positions as well. “We’re a school with 200 kids. We don’t get full-time positions other than our regular faculty. So to get a
Knox County Council PTA
tech position and a (TPACK coach), that’s worth its weight in gold for us as a community and as a school.” Snyder says the school will continue to communicate with parents through phone calls, newsletters and the school website. “But we’re also going to be tweeting at @corrytonelem. And we’ll be honest. We’ll post our mistakes.”
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