Lincoln Orens Middle School gets in ‘touch’ with lessons

By AARON AXELSON

AAxelson@liherald.com

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on one of Apple’s most popular products, the iPad, the 8th grade class at Island Park’s Lincoln Orens Middle School has beaten you to the punch.

Since November, each of the 80 students in the grade has had their own iPad to work with in their Integrated Algebra Math Regents class, using it to take practice tests, study problems and create dynamic projects.

An iPad is an electronic tablet that

performs many of the functions of a computer, such as surfing the Internet and playing videos, though they are about the size of a notepad.

According to Island Park Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino, the iPads, which were paid for through a combination of grants, federal funds and local money, cost about $32,000, or $400 per unit.

The school is integrating iPads and technology into the curriculum not for the sake of it, Bovino said, but because it will help the students with their studies.

“[The iPad] increases the duration of their engagement and I believe it improves their time on task,” Bovino said. “If it makes it fun, they’re going to remember.”

The teachers have undergone nearly 30 hours of training with Bonnie Foster, the program manager of BOCES’ department of curriculum, instruction and technology and plan to begin using the iPads in more classes, including ELA and history.

“There are many districts in Nassau County that have implemented iPads in their districts this past year,” Foster said. “There have been many challenges in making it a productive tool in the school environment, but with the proper professional development, all seem to be forging new territories in this digital age.”

Dorothy Pace, the teacher of the math class, has taken fully to the new technology, lauding its many programs. One such app, Brightstorm, allows students to view videos of teachers providing further explanation on math subjects that they are having difficulty with.

An app is a small, specialized program that is downloaded on to mobile devices.

While the district plans to expand the use of the iPads in the 8th grade, there are still no set plans to purchase more of the tablet computers for the 7th grade, though Bovino said administrators would consider it if they could purchase them at little expense to the taxpayers.

“I think that students learn best when information is presented to them in a

way that is familiar,” said Lincoln Orens Principal John Barnes. “It’s so exciting. The

kids are engaged and when you have that

tech right in front of you, you can go at your own pace.”