PROVIDENCE — Proving that there is no shortage of ways that new technology supports education, Rhode Island’s Catholic schools share how they are up to speed on digital advancements and new media, making learning in the classroom fun, engaging and current.
Dr. John Finnegan, principal of All Saints Academy in Middletown, explained that bringing technology into the classroom is a necessity for Catholic schools.
“Technology in the classroom or anywhere else, allows learning anywhere, anytime; not just in one particular classroom for forty-sixty minutes a day,” he said. “Technology increases the depth of understanding through the use of virtual manipulatives that can go far beyond chalk and talk.”
All Saints has been extremely successful in incorporating technology in the delivery of their core curriculum, which has resulted in tremendous student gains and achievements in and out of the classroom, said Finnegan. Some of these achievements include winning the State Robotics Championship for both 2012 and 2013 as well as the World Robotics Championship in Research and Presentation for 2013.
“Historically, our Eagles have surpassed many of their teachers in technology use,” said Finnegan. “Because of this, All Saints Academy has worked tirelessly to provide adequate, on-going professional development for our staff. This has served to assure that the use of technology is universally embraced and applied in grades Pre-K to 8 and across all subject areas.”
Technology is also a vital resource, explained Paula Hurteau, administrator for Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional Schools, which includes Monsignor Gadoury Catholic Regional (Grades Pre-K-2) and Good Shepherd Catholic Regional (Grades 3-8).
At Monsignor Gadoury, the school has already purchased and will continue purchasing iPads for use by Pre-K students and teachers. The science lab and each classroom are also equipped with computers and SMART Boards. At Good Shepherd, there is an updated computer lab with 30 computers. All classrooms also have computers that are wirelessly connected to the Internet.
“In today’s world, everyone needs to embrace technology or be left behind,” said Hurteau. “Many students have had computers, laptops, and iPads since they were very young so having these available at school is extension of what they already have. It is very important for our Catholic schools to continue improving our technology so that our students are very well prepared for the future. With technological advancements being made daily, we must keep up to best prepare our students.”
At Father John V. Doyle in Coventry, students and faculty eagerly await the arrival of 11 additional SMART Boards any day now, said Principal Robert McDermott. The school will install the innovative and interactive whiteboards in grades 2 – 8 classrooms and one in the media center. Several of the rooms also have either an ELMO document camera or other brands of document cameras, which project high-quality images with vivid detail for a dynamic presentation.
The teachers and students continue to be rewarded with new energy as they add technology to their curriculum, jump-starting new ways of learning that incorporate all styles of teaching, explained McDermott.
“The students are exposed to technology at home and we need to provide that updated technology in order to be on the same playing field,” he said.
With numerous students and parents joining social media networks, many Catholic schools are embracing the technology, using it to better communicate with families.
At Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland, parents have responded positively to their initiation on Facebook as of September 2012, said Director of Development Lisa Lydon.
“They enjoy seeing pictures of students doing every-day tasks that they would otherwise not see, special events during the school day and important announcements regarding Mercymount,” she said. “We have seen family, friends and neighbors ‘Like’ our page and make comments so they actually become engaged with our school.”
The Mercymount policy is to never tag current students on their Facebook page so that parents do not have to worry about identification of their child. They have also offered an "opt-out" option in their Photo Consent policy this year in the instance that a parent does not want their child to be photographed for sharing on digital media.
“In this day and age, students are learning technological skills at home before they even come to school,” said Lydon.
She shared it is imperative that the teachers and classrooms challenge the children, to keep them engaged and interested in the curriculum.
“Catholic schools need to keep curriculums current and up-to-date in order to continue attracting students,” she said. “By keeping track, or ahead, of the public schools, Catholic schools provide every advantage and opportunity to their students while integrating the faith-based and value-centered ideals with outstanding academics.”
