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Help in their Hands: Monroe teachers using hand-held computers to assist learning Reprinted from The
Monroe Evening News (April 19, 2002) As third-grader Corey Egelton of Monroe read a story about how animals could predict earthquakes, teacher Holly Wallace followed along on her Palm Pilot. Like any young reader, Corey stumbled over some difficult words. When he did, Ms. Wallace highlighted that word and wrote down his version on her hand-held computerized instrument. For instance, Corey had read "noted" instead of "noticed" and "creature" instead of "certain." That type of information will help Ms. Wallace help Corey. Up to 18 teachers in the Monroe Public Schools district are using Palm Pilots to help them assess their students' reading habits. The data is collected, stored and analyzed. For Ms. Wallace, the technology is part of a system that is helping her be a better teacher. "I love it," she said in her Manor Elementary School classroom. "It's so much better than doing it with paper. It gives you feedback right away." Using a Palm Pilot to assess students' reading is possible through a state grant that is supplying the district with more than $1.4 million over a two-year period. Dr. Barry Martin, the district's director of state and federal programs, said the money is being used to hire teachers and to supply books and other equipment such as the Palm Pilots. The Literacy Achievement Program (LAP) grant focuses on elementary students who struggle in reading. But it has an impact on all students, Dr. Martin said. "What we're trying to do is catch some of these kids before they move on so their reading skills are up to their grade level," Dr. Martin said. "If you can't read, you can't do much else." Six teachers have been hired with the grant money and they serve as literacy coaches. With a focus on reading, they work directly in the classroom with other teachers. The program's effects have been noticeable. At a board of education meeting, several teachers joined Dr. Martin in a presentation. They hailed the program as a success. "My children have such a confidence and excitement for reading," said Christine Knitter, a teacher at Waterloo Elementary. "They just love it when I bring in a new book and put it on the shelf." The beauty of the program is it allows teachers to group their students by skill levels or differences in reading habits. For example, students often substitute words they don't understand or they sound them out phonetically. During reading lessons, teachers can focus on each student's needs. That individualized learning is key to a student's development and learning advancement. "It helps you know what to teach to who," Ms. Wallace said. "You can get very specific with this kind of assessment. It definitely helped me as a teacher." She used Corey's advancement in reading skills as an example. When she first tested him in the fall, he was reading at the fourth-grade level, which is pretty good for a third-grader. Now he's up to sixth grade in his reading skills. That was made possible because of the individualized learning and grouping him with other kids at his reading level. "If he was reading the same thing the other students were reading, he wouldn't be challenged to move on," Ms. Wallace said. At the board meeting, the teachers brought in several young students who talked about reading and the effects of the program. They said their interest in reading grew and so did their skills. "Before I couldn't read chapter books," said one second-grade student from Lincoln Elementary. "Now I can." It is that kind of success that has teachers, administrators and board members excited. "It will leave its mark on the kind of impact we want to make," said M. Christine Butler, the district assistant superintendent of elementary education. Dr. Martin said he is trying to get the state to fund a third year. He said the program has proven successful and could continue to help hundreds of students increase their skills in reading. "In 30 years as an educator, this is the most intense program I've ever been involved with," Dr. Martin told the board. "The depth of discussion we have had about educating has been first-rate." |
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