St. Peter’s School in Lodi uses new interactive technology

St. Peter’s School in Lodi is using new technology in the classroom instead of chalkboards, DVD players, overhead projectors or even computers.

The “Active Boards,” installed this year at a cost of about $8,000 each, replaced all the above teaching tools. Teachers say the new equipment makes learning more fun for their students.

That was obvious as a class full of students rushed to answer questions on the board at the front of their classroom using a touch-button device, game show-style.

Their teachers, Rod Mara and Randy Kuchenbecker, are the first two to integrate the boards into their classrooms. Kuchenbecker joked that he’s four years from retirement and after 36 years of teaching is successfully using a new tool.

School Principal Caleb Hardy, who said he values innovation, wants to slowly add the Active Boards to other classrooms.

Here’s how the system works:

A typical desktop computer allows a teacher to coordinate the curriculum for the day — whether it be math or geography — as well as run DVDs and Power Point presentations. A built-in projector suspended from the ceiling takes the computer information and displays in on a large, interactive whiteboard.

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Using a special pen, the teacher can write on the board or have students do it. Similar to a computer mouse, the pen has a drag-and-drop feature that allows Mara’s students to place the correct coordinates on a y axis during a lesson, for example.

The program also has a random student generator feature that “spins” on the screen to pick one of the students to answer a question. Mara said this ensures that the same students aren’t always answering questions.

The numbers correspond with those written on each student’s hand-held device, known as an “Active Vote Remote.” Using wireless technology, students can answer questions posed on the board while sitting at their desks. Right away, Mara can see who understands the concept — multiplication, for example — without the student being embarrassed by getting up in front of the classroom and getting it wrong.

The “active slate” allows the teacher to walk around the room to see how his students are doing while simultaneously writing on the hand-held device, as it is displayed on the white board.

The system can also display Web sites such as www.youtube.com.

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

Lodian wrote on Apr 2, 2009 9:33 AM:

" Whoa Nellie!: In your experience, were the private schools more challenging academically or was it that the kids were just not as distracted (as you noted) therefore allowing them to focus and learn the lessons of the day? "

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Whoa Nellie! wrote on Apr 1, 2009 3:59 PM:

" Midtowner & Mom3 are both correct with their statements.

I will throw in my 2cents worth: my 3 kids attended public and two private schools over the years. Without a doubt the best education they received was at St Peter. Our only regret was not being able to send them to St P from Kindergarten.

Public schools simply have too many distractions- and what I really mean are students who act out for attention, disrupt class, etc etc etc. "

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Mother of Three wrote on Apr 1, 2009 8:39 AM:

" I beg your pardon - but Lodi High has this same technology!!!! I am not sure about the other public schools. If they advertised this, they would be ridiculed for spending money! "

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midtowner wrote on Apr 1, 2009 8:14 AM:

" This is exactly why private and charter schools are superior to public schools. The students who attend St. Peters and other local private/charter schools will certainly benefit, not only for themselves but for the community, from their education. Way to go St. Peters! "

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