A Project Funded with Community Service Grants
Recently Cleburne County School Superintendent Scott Coefield, state Rep. Richard Lindsay, and state Sen. Kim Benefield announced a technology initiative in Cleburne County Schools designed to engage students by creating 64 multi-media classrooms in grades 5-12 and 6 media centers. Each classroom received a mounted projector, wall controls, mounted speakers, a mounted screen and a QOMO wireless pad with RM Easiteach software.
“We want to work on course relevance – making the content relevant for the students so they become more engaged in what they are learning. We believe one way to do that is to get more technology in the classrooms.” said Superintendent Coefield. “Today’s kids are all about technology; we have to adapt to that and make sure we are presenting the material in a fashion with which they identify.” Coefield believes some teachers will adapt quickly to their new resources while others will need more time and professional development. We know that we have good teachers and our kids are as capable as any others, but teachers have to have resources, and we have to constantly look at the most effective ways to engage kids. We want the teachers and students of Cleburne County to have the same resources as kids in any other school system, and we believe after this project our schools will be ahead of the curve. I don’t know of another school system around us that will have any better set up as far as technology,” he said.
Most classrooms have already received their equipment and teachers have been trained on the Easiteach software and QOMO pads. Peggy Collum, district technology coordinator, notes that teachers are enthusiastic about using these new resources and many began using the equipment from the first day. Rep. Lindsey was especially impressed with Easiteach’s ability to read text that had been translated to Spanish. The projects will be completed this fall at all schools except Ranburne High School, which Coefield plans to equip in 2009-2010. When completed, Coefield expects the total cost to be around $200,000 and says the projects will be funded by different grant sources. However, Coefield says the greatest fund source will come from community service grants provided by Rep. Lindsey and Sen. Benefield. “We are extremely grateful to our legislators, without their assistance this project would not be possible,” Coefield said.
Scott Coefield, Superintendent
Peggy Collum, Technology Coordinator
Recently Cleburne County School Superintendent Scott Coefield, state Rep. Richard Lindsay, and state Sen. Kim Benefield announced a technology initiative in Cleburne County Schools designed to engage students by creating 64 multi-media classrooms in grades 5-12 and 6 media centers. Each classroom received a mounted projector, wall controls, mounted speakers, a mounted screen and a QOMO wireless pad with RM Easiteach software.
“We want to work on course relevance – making the content relevant for the students so they become more engaged in what they are learning. We believe one way to do that is to get more technology in the classrooms.” said Superintendent Coefield. “Today’s kids are all about technology; we have to adapt to that and make sure we are presenting the material in a fashion with which they identify.” Coefield believes some teachers will adapt quickly to their new resources while others will need more time and professional development. We know that we have good teachers and our kids are as capable as any others, but teachers have to have resources, and we have to constantly look at the most effective ways to engage kids. We want the teachers and students of Cleburne County to have the same resources as kids in any other school system, and we believe after this project our schools will be ahead of the curve. I don’t know of another school system around us that will have any better set up as far as technology,” he said.
Most classrooms have already received their equipment and teachers have been trained on the Easiteach software and QOMO pads. Peggy Collum, district technology coordinator, notes that teachers are enthusiastic about using these new resources and many began using the equipment from the first day. Rep. Lindsey was especially impressed with Easiteach’s ability to read text that had been translated to Spanish. The projects will be completed this fall at all schools except Ranburne High School, which Coefield plans to equip in 2009-2010. When completed, Coefield expects the total cost to be around $200,000 and says the projects will be funded by different grant sources. However, Coefield says the greatest fund source will come from community service grants provided by Rep. Lindsey and Sen. Benefield. “We are extremely grateful to our legislators, without their assistance this project would not be possible,” Coefield said.Scott Coefield, Superintendent
Peggy Collum, Technology Coordinator
