Memphis, TN — In just over a year, the teaching and learning model at Saint Agnes Academy-Saint Dominic School (SAA-SDS) has been completely transformed. The reason? The arrival of 1000 wireless iBook notebook computers, which have become the hub of students’ and teachers’ lives. In the fall of 2003, SAA-SDS officially launched its Apple 1 to 1 Learning initiative. Since then, the Catholic independent K-12 school has made a successful transition to inquiry-based learning opportunities.
The integration of laptops into the curriculum came after SAA-SDS faculty and staff studied the results of research on brain-based learning, gender differences in brain development, and multiple intelligences. After examining this data, school administrators believed that incorporating laptops into the daily teaching routine would make a profound difference on learning.
“Thanks to the ability of laptop technology to invigorate our teachers, we have seen the fabric of our classrooms change,” says Barbara Daush, president of St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School. “We now have more student-centered activities, and more cooperative learning. It is fascinating to walk around the campus and see the many ways in which the laptops are being used to improve what the boys and girls are learning at every level. We are thrilled, and our students and teachers are energized.
“We have been blessed to have some dynamic leaders in our technology department who have supported, directed, and encouraged the teachers,” Daush adds. “Our staff is a team, and the students benefit directly from the camaraderie and teamwork.”
Now that everyone has an iBook and students can find the answers on their own, this inquiry-based approach is really catching on, on a daily basis.
— Amy Moody, Director of Curriculum Integration, Saint Agnes Academy-Saint Dominic School
“In our academically rich, college preparatory setting, our teachers have become excited about starting a lesson with an open-ended question, and then guiding their students to find the answer,” observes Amy Moody, director of Curriculum Integration. “Now that everyone has an iBook and students can find the answers on their own, this inquiry-based approach is really catching on, on a daily basis.”
