The Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District — located in a suburb of Rochester, NY — is equipping all 6-8 grade students with iBooks with “the support of the Board of Education and partnerships with Apple Computer and St. John Fisher College,” Superintendent of Schools Diane Reed writes in an online letter.
The rollout of the laptops is expected to begin during the second semester, and will be gradual “to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for teachers, students and parents,” she adds. The Honeoye Falls-Lima Board of Education approved the leasing of the laptops on Sept. 23. The program supports HF-L’s districtwide focus on literacy across the curriculum.
“Technology is a key tool in the District’s focus on literacy throughout the content areas and in ensuring that all students learn and succeed,” Reed said. “It is helping teachers to deliver more differentiated instruction to reach students of various learning styles in new and more meaningful ways.”
Partnerships and grants have helped the district build the resource capacity to expand digital learning efforts to increase student literacy using wireless technology, according to Michael Hagerman, assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. Details on the cost to local taxpayers regarding this decision are available at the school district’s Web site.