Students at three Guilford County middle schools spent the day learning on tablet computers. A district wide technology initiative that will provide tablets to 17,000 students is underway. The district won a federal “race to the top grant” of more than $30 million. Students are taking a day off from summer break to go into school and get comfortable with the devices.
"If you’re taking a test and you’re not so, you don’t know what you’re doing, you can press ‘confuse’ and the teacher will help you," said Joshua Gibbs, a sixth grader.
The Android-based tablets are programmed by Amplify, an education company that has conducted more than a dozen pilot programs in the country. Teachers have been learning the resources and features of the tablets throughout the summer. Many say they feel ready to use the devices in the classroom, but have much more to learn about the tablets. Nationally, there’s a debate in the educational community about how to use technology most efficiently and what kind of impact it truly has. Thirteen thousand students will receive a tablet by the end of the month.
