By: CHARLIE MATHEWS
(Featured image above: Randolph Clay Middle- High School teacher Chris Bowen lectures students using the Smartboard; students follow on their Chromebooks. (Photos / Charlie Mathews) )
In the November 28th edition of The Southern Tribune, we published the article “Superintendent Dr. Madge reports, all schools “On the Rise” in Randolph County.” Dr. Madge talked about the 21st century classrooms, equipped with Smartboards and students with Chromebooks. Recently, I visited Randolph Clay Middle and High school to see 21st century classrooms first hand. Michael Coley, RCHS assistant principal, allowed me to view classrooms that were using the Smartboards. I was able to observe Teacher Chris Bowen using the Smartboard to lecture to his class. The material on the Smartboard was on the students’ Chromebooks during his lecture.
In a Middle School classroom, the students were using the Chromebooks to take the state assessment test. I wondered, what would prevent a student from using their Chromebooks to log onto the internet to cheat on a test? Assistant Principal Coley says it’s not possible. When the students log onto their Chromebooks and activate the test, it locks out the internet. When the student completes and submits the test, it forwards the test to the state to get graded. The school’s technology department provides safeguards for the teachers’ tests.
Without telling my age, in my high school days we used blackboards and five year-old-textbooks. The words Smartboards and Chromebook did not exist.
The Smartboards and Chromebooks are just part of the reason our Randolph County schools are “On the Rise”.