Cape Christian Academy Shares in $2 M Talent 21 Grant

COURT HOUSE — Students in sixth and seventh grade at Cape Christian Academy will receive an early Christmas present. The sixth graders will each receive a ThinkPad X100e net book computer for their educational use.
The school is participating in a Talent21 grant from the NJ Department Education with the Bridgeton Consortium. Schools in Bridgeton, Fairfield, Buena, Woodbine and Court House won the grant totaling $1,960,000 for the advancement and enhancement of technology in the classroom.
The full name of the grant is “Teaching And Learning with Essential New Technology in the 21st Century.” The grant will provide 1-to-1 computing for the sixth grade this year and again next year. Each student will be assigned a net book computer that will be used extensively in the classroom.
The laptops may be taken home for special projects and will move with the students as they go into seventh grade. The grant also provides computers for the sixth grade class next year.
Interactive white board’s and improved wireless technology are also part of the grant. Technical services and hardware supplies are provided to make the learning environment fully wireless for the students. Twenty five percent of the grant funding is for the professional development of teachers.
The grant includes funds for three teachers from Cape Christian Academy to attend training classes over the summer to use the technology.
Dustin Phillips is one of the teachers from Cape Christian who attended the training. “It opened our eyes to all the possible ways technology can be pivotal in the classroom. With techniques such as digital story boards, Moodle, and cooperative learning, our upcoming school year will be an adventure.”
“It is a blessing to be able to participate in this grant,” said Administrator John Spriggs. “It will allow our students to continue to develop their reading, writing, math, and computer skills and prepare them for life outside the classroom.
One-to-one computing in the classroom opens many new possibilities inside and outside the classroom,” he added.