NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. District officials, board of education members, teachers, students, and representatives from Verizon Wireless attended the launching of the Learning on the Go technology pilot program at Jefferson Elementary School Thursday.
Providing these students with an opportunity to engage with technology is crucial to their development and overall learning, Coleman said. Last year, she said she observed many students sitting outside the school with laptops, using the buildings Internet and advised that the district apply for an FCC grant.
The grantwas issued to 20 school districts across the U.S. to support the wireless pilot program, which is meant to support and advance digital learning. It also focuses on English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, and lower-performing students with disabilities in the fifth through ninth grades, according to a district press release.
We are extremely grateful to both the FCC and Verizon for their support as we rollout this important initiative for our district, said Christine Coleman, director of technology for the New Rochelle City School District.
Kayla Sanchez, a fifth grader at Jefferson Elementary School, said she is excited to access the Internet on her laptop using a broadband card. Im really excited because were one of the 20 school districts in the country that are able to get this so its really good to be able to use the laptops and learn, she said.
Jefferson Elementary School began the first phase of the pilot program Thursday with distribution of Dell mini-laptops to one of the schools fifth grade classes. Another group of fourth grade students received Androids before expanding the program to other students throughout the district.
Phase two of the project will include the distribution of more Androids to more than 300 students at Trinity, and Columbus elementary schools. The middle school will receive tablets and 200 high school students will receive Netbook laptops. Thirty to forty iPad devices will also be distributed to students with disabilities.
The district said technology facilitators, school staff, and students will work closely with each other over the next two weeks to iron out any issues that come up before giving out additional equipment to other city schools.
As the districts official data plan provider, Verizon is a partner in the programs effort all of the devices and data plans being distributed to students have been purchased directly from the company.
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