Have you heard the good news?
Greenville City Schools received money from federal grants and also the
Greenville Foundation that will be used to provide individualized math and
reading instruction to students in kindergarten through second grades,
beginning with first grade. This grant
money will allow our district to provide every K-2 student with an iPad over
the next three years. Each iPad will
deliver content customized to meet each child’s individual needs in both Math
and English Language Arts.
The goal of this program is to support classroom instruction with
personalized learning tools that promote student engagement and growth. These tablets will be used solely for
school-related work, and students will be allowed to take their iPads home so
they can complete their individualized assignments.
Teachers will have training on iPads on the District’s Waiver Days,
Sept. 28 and Oct. 19. On Monday, Oct. 5,
iPads will be issued, and students will be permitted to take their devices home
pending completion of an iPad Agreement. The agreement is established so that parents
will know what to expect and to keep them informed. Each iPad is issued in a protective case with
specialized labeling for easy identification.
During the week of Oct. 5 – 9,
students will familiarize themselves with eSpark by completing a Launch
Quest, which introduces students to example lessons and tasks. The Launch Quest takes place at school and
students complete a unique quest each day for five consecutive days. Oct. 12 is
our Official eSpark Kick-off! Students
will begin completing their own individualized quests that are aligned to
testing data, using MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests that were
completed by each student in September .
Students will eSpark 20 minutes, three times per week, for both reading
and math. This will look different in
every classroom. For example, a reading
teacher may use eSpark as a learning center station, while a math teacher may
have the entire class eSparking simultaneously.
Although every classroom may integrate eSpark slightly differently, each
teacher will provide students with the necessary time requirements.
Access to these learning tools is a privilege and comes with
responsibility for our students, and Greenville City Schools believes the
majority of it’s students will take care of their iPad device. Studies show that iPads improve student
engagement and allow schools to better tailor instructional activities. They also improve students’ technological
literacy. Students and families are
encouraged to think of the iPad the way you think of a textbook. Just as students are responsible for
returning their books in the condition initially received, the same
expectations will apply to their iPad.
When combined with classroom instruction, this
tool will promote individual academic growth while preparing our students for
the challenges of the 21st century.
We are excited to move forward with this project.