Bucknell Elementary students Jashonn Brickhouse (center) and Johnathan Hernandez (right) with sixth grade teacher Amanda Frank. Photo Contributed
As Bucknell Elementary "boxes up" for school renovations, they have been unboxing new growth in technology literacy. This year, Bucknell has been given an opportunity to bridge the digital divide with grants received from Christian Relief Services and an anonymous donor to provide every fourth, fifth, and sixth grader with a laptop that will soon travel between school and home.
Classroom teachers have incorporated the new computers into their classrooms as a resource for learning and a tool for publishing work. Sarah Talley, the school-based technology specialist, and Carol Smith, the librarian, have been collaborating to teach students how to web search accurate information and find online educational outlets to pursue personal learning interests.
Sixth grade students are researching and designing digitally produced visuals to create a collaborative display case on international soccer to share with students in K-5. Last month, Bucknell participated in the international Hour of Code for the second year.
Meredith Cosier, the art teacher, is teaching video game design to fifth and sixth graders. Students are starting to learn how to create digital art and will apply it to programming in February. In art, students also learn about physical computing and will be creating functional game controllers with clay and Makey Makeys (circuit boards that connect to a computer).