Brunswick County Celebrates Their First 1:1 School

Picture of classroom set up with Chromebooks.

This year, Brunswick County Public Schools is making many changes pertaining to technology advancements as their first school transitions to 1:1 devices for the students at Totaro Elementary School (TES). With the implementation of this 1:1 program, this means that every student in the school has been assigned a Dell 3100 Chromebook.

With the adoption of a new reading program and the need for digital learning communities, Krystle Pearson, Director of Technology, knew that increasing the number of student devices was one of the top priorities for the school division. With the 1:1 initiative, students are now participating in numerous subscriptions/programs such as Google Classroom, Nearpod, Kahoot, IXL, Clever, and PowerSchool  for student assessments and data collection. With the support of the Division Superintendent, Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette, and Dr. Terence Wyche, TES Principal,  this initiative will continue to provide the direct support needed to carry out their vision of Educating Students, Inspiring Success, and Improving Tomorrow.  

Boy sitting with headphones on in from of a computer.

Brunswick County Public Schools looks forward to increasing the number of 1:1 devices for other schools in their division for the 2020-2021 school year.

“Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.” -George Couros

Transforming Spaces

Innovation is kicking off in a unique way at Brunswick High School as the learning environment shifts from a traditional setting with desks and little movement to one where students have non-traditional seating and are free to move and collaborate. Ms. Tiffeney Brown, BHS Principal has led this transformation through repurposing various spaces in the high school to facilitate 21st Century Learning.  Students are excited and motivated about learning in these new spaces designed with colorful themes and an abundance of materials for peer collaborations and creativity. 

The major area of focus has been transforming the library into a media center designed around a STEAM framework. This transition includes the creation of an interactive lab, a Maker Space room that includes a separate area for circuits, coding, design and robotics, a multimedia room for video production and an open working space equipped with laptops and a ClearTouch interactive board.  The space provides an inviting environment for mental relaxation, creativity, and stimulation. The new media center, also popular area of the high school, and has been reserved by teachers of all subjects.  Recently students visited the Maker Space room to paint and create crafts as a way to release stress and mentally prepare for SOL testing.  Teachers have also been busy with learning how to use the ClearTouch interactive board and facilitating SOL review using the board. 

students in lab.

Mrs. Dalgis Mejia, high school Spanish teacher, recently facilitated a learning experience for her Spanish students in the interactive lab. Students participated in Skype sessions with their Colombian penpals to use their foreign language skills to learn about each other’s culture.  The media center has proven to be a valuable part of the high school as students now have the opportunity for creation, design, production and real world learning experiences. 

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