Unity Public School and Cut Knife Elementary School were the beneficiaries of 325 iPads to launch the One?to?One Learning program in their schools, Sept. 19.
Superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Living Sky School Division, Jim Shevchuk, says, "Unity and Cut Knife are phase 3 of this rollout. This great idea began four to five years ago under the direction of our director, Randy Fox. We wanted our students to be on the cutting edge, just like the real world. By integrating this device into classrooms, it means a new shift and a new way of teaching, as well as a new digital fluency for students."
Morag Riddell, a teacher at Unity Public School, on top of and fluent with technology and the changes that accompany technology use, led off the assembly to roll out the iPads at UPS.
Riddell says, "We are very grateful for the Living Sky School Division for not only providing our students with iPads, but also allowing teachers the opportunity to learn new skills and providing us with the professional development to help us follow our goals of helping students to learn to use iPads effectively in our education."
Miss Riddell tweaked a writing of Dr. Seuss's Oh the Places We'll Go when introducing the iPads to students at the morning assembly. "Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have an iPad in your hands, you can take yourself to far and near lands. But you're not on your own. And you've got lots of apps. From math facts to alphabet letters to maps. You'll look up and down web sites. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, 'I don't choose to go there.' With your head full of brains and your hands holding tight, you're ready to learn with your iPad so bright."
Following Miss Riddell's introduction and Mr. Shevchuk's comments, students were asked to pledge to an iPad use oath which helped lead into the rollout for this exciting new adventure in technology and learning.
The staff of both Unity Public School and Cut Knife Elementary School are ready and willing to see where One?to?One is going to take them and ultimately to learn alongside their students and create a community of learners in which lifelong learning becomes the goal everyone strives for.
