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Beach Kids Foundation seeks funds for Chromebooks

By Staff | Sep 14, 2016

Second-graders Lily Streeter, Eric Doty and Kayla Walker use their Chromebooks for reading quizzes and Moby Me, a program which helps to improve areas a student might be struggling in, such as reading and math, through quizzes and learning games.

Mrs. Joy Rockwell’s second-grade classroom is quiet.

With large headphones to block out distractions, those of her students who have finished their class assignments get to spend time on the class laptops. While they might see the time as an opportunity to be playing games, the programs Rockwell uses are actually learning tools to help them with grade concepts.

Last year, the Beach Kids Foundation spent about $7,000 to give Rockwell’s classroom 20 Chromebooks. Now, the school is hoping the foundation can raise money to purchase Chromebooks for its first-grade class to utilize during school hours, too.

Rockwell uses the Chromebooks as an incentive for students, and it’s caught on with them. Each student spends only about 30 minutes of the day on the laptop.

“They’re more eager to finish their work so they can get on the Chromebook,” Rockwell said.

If they finish tasks early during class, they can get on the laptop for a few minutes to take additional quizzes or improve weak areas through apps and programs while the rest of their classmates finish up. They also have about 15 minutes at the end of the day they can spend on the computer.

She’s also implemented the Chromebook to encourage her students to read more. Students can read a book and then take a comprehension quiz on the laptop, which earns them points. Each child sets a points goal per quarter, and if they meet their goal, they get something special at lunch, like ice cream, Rockwell said.

Rockwell received the first set of Chromebooks from the Beach Kids Foundation this spring. Over the summer, she took course to learn more about using Google and the laptops in school, and plans to try new programs this year.

With the positive results in second grade, the school hopes the Foundation can help the first-grade class get laptops for its classroom. Third- through fifth-grade classes already have laptops. The Lee County School District already implements laptops in its middle- and high-school classrooms, and the teachers at Fort Myers Beach Elementary are helping students prepare for on-screen education.

“It’s a community where the kids do have needs,” said Judy Haataja, a foundation member.

The foundation raises most of its money at the Spirit of the Holidays silent auction; however, most of those funds need to be reserved for the annual beach kids college scholarships and the holiday wish list gifts. President of the Foundation, Fran Myers, hopes the foundation can get donations for more Chromebooks soon, so the classrooms can begin to utilize them.

To make a donation, make out a check to the Beach Kids Foundation with Chromebooks in the memo and either mail or leave at the Beach Elementary School in care of Renee Mulloy. The school’s address is 2751 Oak St, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931. The foundation hopes to raise about $7,000 quickly to be able to deliver the laptops to the school early on in the semester.

“We’re not going to have an event to raise the money, we’re relying on folks to send in donations,” Myers said.