Thanks to Oakland Schools, students at Oxford Elementary School will now be able to use cutting edge technology tool kits to help them in their daily learning.
These kits, called Strategies and Tools to Enhance Learning for All (STELA) provides teachers with Assistive Technology tools and training to support all learners, including students with disabilities and those considered ‘at-risk? in reading and writing.
Four teachers at the school ? Mary Kraniak, Jaime Bartlo, Krista Rushlow and Brenda Hall ? each received a kit valued at $2,000 and have been using them in their classrooms since October 2006.
Tools in the kit include an AlphaSmart (which is like a small portable laptop), a talking dictionary, computer software, E.Z.C. Reader, pencils, rubber pencil grips, highlighting tape and raised paper for students who have a hard time writing on a straight line.
OES Principal Debbie Stout said the STELA program was ‘developed by a collaborative effort of technology coordinators from eight different counties? in Michigan.
Stout said the project started with a three-year pilot program and it will be expanded to all 28 school districts in Oakland County.
‘A girlfriend of mine was (at) one of the pilot sites over the past few years, so I’ve been listening to her speak about it,? Stout told the school board at their Jan. 9 meeting. ‘When that application came across my desk, I knew what an opportunity it was going to provide for our students.?
Kraniak, who teaches fifth grade at OES, told the board that STELA helps teachers realize children’s strengths and weaknesses.
In doing so, it helps educators recognize the need to ‘have the flexibility in our instructional methods to allow for all children to be learning successfully,? she said.
‘The kids are just taking off and having a good time,? Kraniak said. ‘They’ll be reading a book and they’d say ‘I know, let’s get the talking dictionary!? They’d never say that about a regular dictionary.?
At the Jan. 9 board meeting, students from each of the teacher’s classes talked about their favorite STELA tool and why they liked it.
Third-grader Jarod Bell said he likes the E.Z.C. Reader, which is a light-weight plastic strip that looks like a ruler.
‘It helps me stay on the right line and it helps me follow along when other people are reading,? he said. ‘It’s everything that a kid needs.?
Fourth-grader Valencia Jackson said she enjoys using the AlphaSmart because it makes her writing easier.
‘It helps me a lot because I write a lot and I get hand cramps,? she said. ‘Typing is a lot more fun and convenient.?
Kraniak said teams from different schools in Oxford will soon get the chance to visit Oakland Schools to learn about the STELA project tool kit.