Two Teachers Use Tech—in Different Ways—to Transform Their Classroom

Although Wolken has been teaching for more than a decade, this is his first year teaching robotics.

Students in Wolken’s classroom see his passion for STEM projects. When one of his students asks about the 3-D printer, his eyes light up and he says, “Can I borrow someone’s shoes?” Promptly, an eighth-grader slips off his sneaker and hands it to Wolken, who places it on a Lazy Susan that Wolken fashioned from a square piece of wood and ball bearings from Home Depot. As a student slowly turns the Lazy Susan, Wolken holds up a device and scans the shoe, creating a 3-D file. They’ll shrink it down a bit before sending it to the 3-D printer. “This is an opportunity to talk about scaling, so it’s related to math,” Wolken says.

Each day, Wolken lists as many as eight programs on the white board and allows his students to choose an activity. Once students make a selection, the talking quiets down as they split into small groups to tackle the current task. Wolken praises the technology for giving him more freedom to do one-on-one work in the classroom: “The device has made learning more individualized.”

Technology has provided more interactive opportunities, transforming how students create and explore projects. For example, Wolken purchased a MERGE cube, a small 3-D product that acts as an AR screen, and invited students to build larger cubes. When they use CoSpace, an educational technology that enables students and teachers use to design an AR world (like, say, one inhabited by dragons), they can set their handmade MERGE cube in the center of a table. Then, using their device to project the AR onto the cube, bring the scene comes to “life” in a way that wouldn’t be possible with desktop learning.

Life before Verizon Innovative Learning feels like a distant memory.

William Pierce, the school’s Verizon Innovative Learning coach, notes that in the past, the school’s tech curriculum focused on teaching students how to use Microsoft Office Suite products to pass a district-wide test on 21st century skills. Now, Pierce says, the students are thriving. The devices have heightened their sense of community, with students turning to one another for assistance. Statewide test scores are beginning to improve. The new, enhanced exposure to technology has sparked interest in STEM jobs. 

Pierce says these young scholars, many of whom are from lower economic backgrounds and previously saw playing professional sports in their future, are now actively discussing engineering as career options.

Whatever a student’s challenge—such as a learning disability or an English language learner—Pierce says, “Thanks to technology, you don’t recognize limitations because they are fully engaged and participating in class.”

Corey is a perfect example of a student who has been transformed by technology. He used to be very shy. “I had low self-esteem,” he says, “because I had been bullied at my last school.” Despite limited exposure to technology at home, Corey took to robotics immediately. Wolken, recognizing Corey’s aptitude, asked him to become a teacher’s assistant.

Wolken taught Corey how to guide his fellow students without giving away the answers or doing the work for them. Now, all traces of Corey’s self-consciousness are gone. He says, “Mr. Wolken is a big inspiration. I see all the stuff he does and think, ‘I can do that, too.’”

For Wolken, seeing students blossom is gratifying: “It’s mind-blowing. I’m very happy to be here.”

Corey overcame his shyness and became the teacher’s assistant.

When asked about the apps, sixth-grader Jacobe Farris rapidly fires off the benefits of each app and how he uses them at home. McCarthy laughs when she hears this: “They’re probably sick of hearing me say it. If the technology is going to be useful, repetition is key.”

With ST Math, the app logs how many minutes students spend working on problems at home, which is key information that McCarthy can track and is a huge benefit when students work in groups. Even when McCarthy works one-on-one with a student, she knows the other students are engaged. Jacobe’s classmate, Ved Lekkla, thrives on independent study and is quick to point out that he spends 100 minutes per night on ST Math. Meanwhile, with Khan Academy, Lekkla can stay on top of his grades. “My math score increased 15 points from the fall,” Jacobe says proudly.

Prior to this year, McCarthy hadn’t used technology in any formal way.

When she was an elementary school math teacher in Chicago, her students had access to devices, but they lacked institutional support and training, so the tablets doubled as “glorified babysitters.” McCarthy says she was slightly apprehensive, before the school year began, about utilizing tablets. But after being exposed to the new possibilities, she made a vow to herself: “This time I’m going to do better.”

McCarthy credits Verizon Innovative Learning, including the steadfast backing of Sara Meireding, Shawnee’s Verizon Innovative Learning coach. “With everything, Verizon and Sara did, it was simple,” McCarthy says, noting the seamless adoption of tech.

At Shawnee, Meireding organizes weekly professional development check-ins and encourages teachers to collaborate and share innovative technology use. For example, during a mini-lesson on artist Jackson Pollock, another teacher, Maggi Reed, lead a lesson on programming robots to make colorful splatter paintings, à la Pollock. Overall, Meireding is impressed by McCarthy’s ability to make these tech resources work for her teaching style. “She is organized and clear, and so the way she structures her classroom keeps students organized, too,” Meireding says, pointing out that McCarthy’s students adore her.

Aside from teaching fractions, division and decimals, McCarthy’s goal is to help the students find their intrinsic motivation, a quality that will serve them in all areas of life, especially since some have experienced serious trauma and others lack parental support. No matter the student’s individual situation, McCarthy cares about them and her no-nonsense, individualized approach is designed to keep students on task. “When you have high expectations for yourself and someone who respects you has high expectations for you, you tend to rise to the occasion,” she says. “Even if it’s only three out of five days you’re rising to the occasion and the other two you crumble, that’s progress.”

With devices, there’s zero chance the dog will eat anyone’s homework.

Plus, students are more comfortable and engaged with app-based learning. When McCarthy was a substitute teacher one particular student was famous for falling asleep in every class. These days, he’s more alert and recently, he eagerly participated in a lesson on ratios. “He shocked me,” she says. “I thought, ‘Where did you come from?’”

Sabrina Bakare, 7th grade

Seventh-grader Sabrina Bakare is also aware of her growth. “At first, I was like, ‘Why do we need [devices]?’” she says, recalling her initial resistance. “Now? I know I’m a better student. [The device] helps me a lot. I do better on tests and I like the challenge of learning math.”