Florida STEAM School Goes 1:1 with Grant Funding
Students at a Florida magnet school are using a new
1-to-1 program
to add an "A" to the typical STEM program.
Thanks to a $1 million grant from the federal Magnet Schools
Assistance Program, Stone
STEAM Magnet Middle School in Melbourne, FL, is
rolling out a new computer initiative this spring that will give every
student
and teacher a Macbook Air computer. The digital learning initiative —
which adds
art to the traditional science, technology, engineering and math that
create
the STEM acronym — is meant to take advantage of cutting-edge
technology,
high-interest electives and an enhanced curriculum.
Students will receive approximately 900 new computers
when
they report back to school after the holiday break. Eventually, they
will be
able to take the laptops home with them, following a gradual roll-out
designed
to help students understand the responsibilities that come with new
technology.
Stone Technology Director Gordon Shupe said the
program is the
culmination of a "long dream" for him.
"Now students can really learn at a drop of a hat,"
Shupe
told Florida Today. "They don't have to reserve a computer lab. They can just pop open
the
laptop and go and investigate that burning question they have."
Teachers at Stone spent much of the fall working on
plans for
curriculum revisions that will reflect the enhanced opportunities with
the
laptop program.
Teacher Rick Flesher said he is looking toward a blended
learning
model where, for instance, he will assign students an essay on the
Declaration
of Independence. They will write the essay on their computers, share it
with
other students and comment on each other's ideas.
Language arts teacher Emily MacWhinnie said she plans
to eliminate
the use of paper and pens completely from her classroom and some
students have
already created "movie trailers" about library books they've read that
were
broadcast over the school's internal television network.
"People don't use phone books anymore," Shupe added.
"They don't
use fold-out maps when they travel. We want our students to have
relevant
experiences that tie in with life outside the classroom."
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.