Technology prepares students for future
By Carol Rolf
LITTLE ROCK — Augusta School District in Woodruff County prides itself on the technology it offers its students.
“We’ve got math labs, EAST labs, GIS, Distance Learning … every kind of lab you can think of,” said Avis Blevins, district superintendent. “We have more technology than any school district of our size.” Augusta School District has approximately 570 students divided among Cotton Plant and Augusta elementary schools for grades kindergarten through eight, and Augusta High School, which houses students in grades nine through 12.
Blevins said most of the technological advances have come through “lots of hard work,” noting the district has applied for, and received, numerous grants to help make all of this possible. Scott Jones serves as federal programs coordinator and has been instrumental in these efforts.
High school students have the opportunity to utilize one of three distance learning labs, the I CAN Learn math lab, the GIS lab and the EAST lab. Elementary school students also have access to a lab in which they can study any number of subjects.
Coach Alex Jackson monitors the I CAN Learn math lab for algebra students.
“The lessons come up on a computer screen,” Blevins explained. “It’s a pretty rigorous course.The students work problems and then are scored right after they answer the question. If they make a mistake, the computer shows them what they missed and how to correct it. It’s just basically a book on computer.
“Coach Jackson walks around the classroom, helping those who are having trouble,” Blevins noted.
Jackson is a product of the school district, which he has served for 32 years.
“I think it’s kind of fun,” Keeling Carter said of the 45-minute I CAN Learn math lab. “When you go through the lesson, you can go back and see what you’ve done. There are plenty of examples to go by. And if you miss one, you can do back and redo it.”
“Plus there’s no homework,” added Raven Hearton, one of Carter’s lab partners.
Samantha Allen thinks the I CAN Learn math lab is “easier. It teaches you a whole lot. It’s much easier to do on a computer.”
Ryan Grisham, also a graduate of Augusta High School, teaches both the EAST - Environmental and Spatial Technology - lab and the GIS - Geographic Information System - lab. The EAST lab is a student-driven, service project-oriented program of study in which a teacher acts as the facilitator. In the GIS lab, students learn to make maps and in the past, have helped local paramedics update their maps.
“If anyone in the community needs help with maps, we have all the tools and are willing to help them out,” said Blevins, who has 35 years of experience in the field of education.
In addition to lab facilities, Augusta’s elementary schools also have enhanced their library facilities.
“We have a new library here in Augusta. We went from 700 books to two or three thousand books,” Blevins said. “We unloaded five pallets of new books here and two pallets of new books in Cotton Plant. I’ve never seen so many books in my life.”
In addition to K-12, Augusta School District also has preschool classes in Augusta and Cotton Plant.
“Nobody pays for preschool,” Blevins emphasized. “We have a fully certified staff, most with masters’ degrees. We want to jump-start our kids as much as we can.”
No one pays for breakfast or lunch, either. “We’re a Provision 2 school,” Blevins said. “All my kids, regardless of income, eat breakfast and lunch free. There’s no identification of students as they come into the cafeteria. They are all the same.”
“We want our kids who come to school here to be proud and to have every opportunity that any school in the state of Arkansas has to offer,” Blevins concluded. “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to do.”
This article was published February 14, 2008 at 3:22 a.m.
Three Rivers, Pages 58 on 02/14/2008
