Chromebooks open new world to Sacred Heart students

 

Students in Rosemary Zamorano’s fourth grade class at Sacred Heart School in Rockport, Addison Kopp, 10, and Roman Mayes, 9, use their Chromebook to write a creative writing essay during class recently. Administrators recently purchased the computers to assist students with their classwork.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

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Ten-year-old Carson Bhakta has always known life with technology. He recalls using tablets and cell phones since he was a small child and feels comfortable using all types of computers. So when Sacred Heart School in Rockport rolled out Chromebooks back in December of last year for their schoolchildren, Bhakta was thrilled.

“I love technology. Using the Chromebooks during class is much better than just sitting there listening. We’re having fun while learning and I love it,” he said.

Kathy Barnes, principal at Sacred Heart, said the Chromebooks offer a great variety of learning possibilities, are easy to use and fit their students’ needs.

A Chromebook is a laptop device primarily designed for use while connected to the Internet, with most applications and data residing in “the cloud”. The cloud is Internet-based computing that makes data available to other devices on demand. Chromebooks have become popular with educators because of its convenience, ease of use and relatively low cost. 

“Our mission statement drives our programs at Sacred Heart, which means we work to provide our students a quality education through opportunities to know, love and serve God and his creation. We believe we must expose our students to the amazing array of beauty and wonders of our world outside of their familiar surroundings,” she said.

Barnes added that it is important that educators not only help the students learn, but also lead them to explore, and teach them to know and follow Jesus. Using the Chromebooks assists teachers in attaining those goals.

Last year, the school—with grants provided by local foundations—purchased 26 Chromebooks for the entire school. They also purchased a mobile storage unit that houses and charges the computers and takes them from classroom to classroom throughout the school. Depending on the success of this first batch of Chromebooks, more could be purchased in the future, the principal said.

“We love our kids and want them to be ready for the next step in their education. If we can put a Chromebook in their hands now, maybe that will plant a seed of curiosity in their being a lifelong love of learning in their minds, and an eternal love of our Creator in their hearts,” Barnes said.

Emma Johns, a fifth grader at Sacred Heart, said she relates better to her classwork using the Chromebooks.

“It’s better to use these in class for our schoolwork because it feels like we are learning more. I’m able to check my work and ask better questions during class because I have the Chromebook. I also understand my work better, so I’m thankful to use them,” she said.

The computers are not only used for daily lessons, but also for hands-on learning in the classroom and from interactive virtual labs included in today’s textbooks.

“We’re solving math problems in the Cloud, helping the children with their reading comprehension skills and helping our students become better readers,” Barnes said.

“Using apps and websites from textbook publishers allows each student to solve problems in ways that give them a learning experience that is fun and exciting but also productive while allowing the individual learner to work at his own pace.”

Since each student needs a Google account to access the Chromebooks, Barnes noted Internet safety classes are held at the school on a regular basis. She also recommended parents be aware of their children’s interactions online and noted CommonSenseMedia.org is a useful resource for educators and parents to keep children safe with their exposure to media technology.

Someday Barnes hopes to use the computers to communicate via Skype with schoolchildren in Guatemala.

“We want to give our kids real-world examples of how their charitable works are affecting others globally. We also want to encourage them to get a good education so they can get out and see the world someday,” Barnes said.

Sacred Heart School serves 155 students from three-years of age up to fifth grade. Barnes said response from both teachers and students alike, has been remarkable.

“We want our children to be ready for the next step in their education. These Chromebooks certainly beat the old chalkboard and paper tablet!” she said.  

Fifth grade students in Kerry Shaw’s class at Sacred Heart School in Rockport use Chromebooks to assist with math studies during a recent class. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic