School news

The iPads are coming to Marion Street School

Lynbrook students benefit from $25K grant

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There have been many changes in recent years to the state’s educational system, ranging from a new limit on the amount of money a district can collect in property taxes to the way teachers are evaluated. But new laws and policies aren’t the only changes; there is also the growing number of technological devices in the average classroom.

Computers, laptops and smart boards are just some the tools being used to educate students of all ages, but those aren’t the only ones. The Lynbrook School District has added Apple iPads to the mix in recent months, specifically in the middle and high schools. Now, after the hard work of a few educators at the Marion Street School, iPads will soon be found on the elementary level in the district as well.

Third Grade teachers Andi Schorr and inclusion teacher for grades three and five Susan Osborne recently secured a $25,000 grant to purchase 30 iPads and the accessories that accompany them.

The iPads will be used in Schorr’s and fellow third grade teacher Mollie Traversa’s classes, which include students with special needs — 38 students in total. Each of the teachers said they were surprised to receive the grant after coming up with the idea in March.

“We asked for $25,000 not expecting we would ever in a million years get $25,000,” Osborne said.

The Green Foundation, a foundation that focuses on preserving and enhancing the arts, education and human services, funded the grant. Osborne said she and Schorr wanted to apply for a grant that could benefit their class.

“We thought what would be helpful for a class with a lot of special needs learners?” she said. The two ultimately landed on the iPad because of the many Apps and resources it offers.

The iPads, which are scheduled to arrive sometime in October, will be used for a bevy of subjects, Schorr said, including social studies and math. Osborne also highlighted a few different Apps that students can use to help with communication, friendship building, goal monitoring, vocabulary and handwriting.

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