Clearwater Secondary School is one of 12 schools out of 150 applicants from across Canada picked to receive a Future Generation Tech Lab grant from Future Shop.
“It was interesting how, when we were discussing the different applicants, Clearwater kept being mentioned as an example of the sort of school we were looking for,” said Kamloops Future Shop manager Blair Jamieson during a presentation ceremony held at CSS last Thursday.
The school has been piloting a project that combines on-line learning with face-to-face teaching. A teacher could be teaching two or three courses in one room, with students working individually on their computers at their own speed, but with a teacher available if they need help.
Offering senior level courses, especially in sciences and math, has always been a challenge for smaller schools.
Students graduating without those courses, however, could face difficulties in getting into university or other advanced training. With the new project, CSS can offer those courses and give students a good chance of success.
The grant from Future Shop will be used to purchase iPad minis, said CSS principal Darren Coates.
So far the approach has been used for his Physics 11 and 12 class, and for Tracy Buck’s senior math and physics.
One of the big advantages of the approach is that it allows students to move at their own pace, said Buck. They can finish before the end of the semester, if they want, or keep working on the course into the next.
She said she hopes to get more senior courses on-line.
The success to date with the project means they want to expand it and get more staff involved.
North Thompson school trustee John Harwood recalled that the 1957 Worlds Fair in England featured a computer that was the size of a house.
“That was just over 60 years ago,” he said. “Now it’s part of everyday life.”
School district assistant superintendent Karl deBruijn thanked Future Shop for making the money available.
“We’re excited by the challenges and opportunities this opens up for students,” he said.