Small Town News

Class gets tech savvy

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Grant helps junior high teacher, students embrace technology

Oakland Bay Junior High teacher Brent Conklin tapped a blackboard in his classroom.

"I don't think I've ever used this chalkboard," he told a visitor last week. He's taught at Oakland Bay 10 years.

Instead, Conklin uses an overhead projector every day. "My handwriting's horrible. It's easier for the kids to see," he said of the notes he screens for his students.

Currently, there are five computers for students to use in his classroom. He teaches U.S. history.

"I think we'll always be a step behind. Most of the kids have access to technology at home," he said, adding he assumes they know more about that subject than he does.

Conklin said he's had students who have produced their own historic films for his class. There is a computer lab at the school, but Conklin says there's competition to get in it.

In the darkened classroom his eighth-grade students present results of their Family Heritage Project. One by one, the students walk to the front of the class and, using the projector, show drawings they have made about aspects of themselves and their families. Some show photos of family members.

One girl told the class her grandmother had no technology at home when she was growing up, other than a radio for contact with the outside world. Now, the grandmother has a TV and computer. Another student's grandmother had a phone, but was on a party line with six other families.

Conklin said the first time he touched a computer was when he was an eighth-grader. He took basic computer programming in high school and had a Commodore 64 computer at home. In college, he typed his history thesis on a typewriter because he found it more convenient that using the college's version of a word processor.

Eleven teachers in the Shelton School District have each been awarded $11,100 Teaching & Learning 21st Century grants over this year and next. The first year stipend of $7,600 will pay for 62 hours of professional development, travel, substitute teachers and software for their classrooms. The focus on professional development will be on how technology can be used to address different learning styles and more.

Each of the teachers' classrooms will be supplied with a laptop computer, digital projector and camera and whiteboard, which in Conklin's case will be used to display historical documents. Next year, grant recipients will receive $3,500 for additional training and classroom equipment.

Other Shelton teachers awarded grants include Wendy Wilson-Hoss, Jewell Hemenway and Michele Evans of Bordeaux Elementary School; Judith Serrano of Evergreen Elementary School; Robin Gagnon of Mountain View Elementary School; April Yantis and Elizabeth Johnston of Olympic Middle School; Evan Brees and Carri Fennel of Choice High School; and Mar-ta Gomez-Buckley of Shelton High School.



Copyright 2009 Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Shelton-Mason County Journal Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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