Bresnahan Elementary embraces technology - The Daily News of Newburyport

NEWBURYPORT — School Committee members and Bresnahan School administrators are singing the praises of a technology boost in the school’s classrooms over the past four years.

The Bresnahan School Council on Monday reviewed progress made with new technology that has been implemented since the school first opened in 2014. The majority of the discussion revolved around the extensive upgrades the district has made to the elementary school in terms of devices used in classrooms.

“It’s pretty exciting where we are right now,” Superintendent Susan Viccaro said.

Christina Davis, the principal for first through third grades at Bresnahan, and Amy Sullivan, the preschool and kindergarten principal, spoke of the advantages they have seen with the implementation of Chromebooks, Smart Boards and tablets, among other advanced means of teaching and learning. They analyzed what is working and areas that could still use improvement.

Sullivan said teachers utilize Smart Boards — an interactive form of a traditional whiteboard — every day for lessons and lesson plans, movement breaks, motivators, and even yoga for preschoolers and elementary school age students.

Technology consultants and school officials have released a technology survey to examine device use in each student’s home. They did not cite a specific goal other than to determine what devices students are using.

Sullivan and Davis explained the challenges they faced deciphering the number of devices that actually belong to each child. For example, there could be a “family computer” in one child’s home that more than one household member uses, and the student may mark it on the survey as their “personal” computer.

School officials believe this is an effective method for determining how much screen time students are exposed to at home.

Bresnahan has also implemented training on software programs used on Chromebooks, which are mainly Google applications, to educate teachers and parents. Assistant Superintendent Angela Bik said teacher proficiency with classroom technology has improved dramatically over the course of the four years it has been presented at Bresnahan.

A number of computer labs at Bresnahan have been remodeled with the increased technology use in the classroom. A designated computer lab would be obsolete, according to committee members, since Chromebooks are stationed in each classroom.

“Labs will go by the wayside,” said Viccaro, who added that students are quickly adapting when it comes to learning how to use these devices.

Sullivan and Davis noted a trend that young students — at least in school — are viewing less online content and using the technology in a more constructive way. Rather than taking online quizzes and watching random streams of content, they are creating more of an educational use from it, especially through coding and programming.

School officials said students have taken on more leadership roles while using the devices. Many of the students who use Chromebooks will work in groups and have become facilitators.

Sullivan said many of the children utilizing technology with these creative concepts are as young as second-graders, who are exposed to these advances not only in the classroom but outside of school.

“Lego sets with coding are the big thing this year for Christmas presents,” Sullivan said, referring to what are essentially smart toys that contain programmable sensors and motors. “Kids build the toy and then they can code it afterwards.”

School Committee members said they will focus on next year’s technology plan and will look into which devices and software need replacement and replenishment. Since the majority of the devices have been successful aside from sporadic battery crashes, School Committee members chose to stick with the Chromebooks and other assorted Google devices.

Looking to the future, committee members said they will continue to examine technology in classrooms and at home when monitoring the school’s improvement plan. There is talk of expanding the library’s media services and continuing to survey the amount of screen time and number of devices to which each student is exposed.

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