If all goes well, approximately 50 iPad minis will be in the hands of eager K-2 students at Boothay Region Elementary School before the end of this school year.

AOS 98 Superintendent of Schools Eileen King advised the CSD school committee of the plans for rolling out iPad Minis. These classroom teachers, including Kindergarten teacher Debbie Mellor, will attend a meeting after school vacation week with a presentation on the uses for the iPads and benefits they will offer the children. Mellor already has her students working on an iPad story writing and illustration project. When complete, Mellor uploads them to YouTube for the young creatives’ parents to check out.

The iPad mini K-2 pilot project will be made possible through the federally funded REAP (Rural Education Achievement Program) grant. King applies for this funding annually, in the fall, to assist in supporting all students' technology-related education.

“The grant is made available to all small rural schools,” King said after the meeting. “It is awarded for teacher improvement, educational technology and the improvement of academic achievement.”

The amount of the award varies from year to year and is based on a complex formula. See www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/grant12/index.html.

For example, in 2012, the Boothbay region schools were awarded $23,312 and in 2011, Southport Central and Edgecomb Eddy schools were the recipients with awards of $15,376 and $12,324, respectively.

King shared some of the goals identified by the K-2 staff for the pilot, which align with the overall K-12 three-year technology plan below:

• Supporting differentiation by supporting personalized, student centered learning
• Improved classroom management
• Maximizing student learning time
• Increased flexibility to vary learning activities quickly
• Developing complex communication with a variety of audiences
• Publishing for real world audiences
• Improved communication with home
• Increased student motivation and engagement

The school committee unanimously approved submitting the application and the use of the funds at the January 22 meeting.

After the meeting, Mellor said there was great excitement in the K-2 wing about the use of technology in studies for the younger set.

“We create and illustrate stories, make presentation videos, reinforce our learning, and connect with home using them,” Mellor explained. The videos created in class so far have only been shared with parents, he said.

“These iPads have definitely energized our classroom.”