MOUNT VERNON — It has been five weeks since the Mount Vernon Educational Foundation announced its campaign to raise funds for students in need of laptops to participate in the pandemic-induced virtual learning environment. This past week due to generous donations they reached 61% of their $30,000 goal.
The teachers who have been using e-learning technology have created a new platform for advancing the educational experience of their students. A Mount Vernon High school teacher stated, “Digital learning lets me think outside the box and creates an experience where the learner can interact with content.”
While the experience of students working at home has varied due to the challenge of long days at home and often waiting to share a computer with their siblings, many students have easily transitioned because of the flexibility. Student Selah C. states, “Digital Learning is excellent because you can work on your own schedule to complete the work, and I like using Padlet because it’s more interactive.”
Student Shatine F. sees opportunities for sharing new knowledge: “I like Digital Learning because you can see your grades faster, and you can see all the work outlined for the day. I enjoy the science curriculum on Discovery Education because it’s very informative, and I have used the information to educate my family.”
A Columbus School teacher reported, “Digital Learning is an empowering experience with limitless opportunities to promote high order thinking and collaboration.” An 11th grader at Mount Vernon High School agreed with this idea. She stated, “ English has always been my favorite subject because I excel in all aspects. This is my first year taking an AP English course. I always love a good challenge, and that’s exactly what this class does. Even during this remote learning period, my teacher has been pushing the boundaries and forcing us to continue to write every day. My writing skills have improved dramatically in this one year alone.”
The Digital Learning experience promotes advanced learning opportunities for students by allowing students to learn at their own pace and in the manner which is most beneficial to them. Students can explore greater details about topics that are of particular interest to them, and it pushes some students to become more disciplined. But students need the necessary tools to be engaged.
School Board Trustee Darcy Miller stated, “It truly has been refreshing to see the collaboration that exists between the community, the school district and the school board as they work on a common cause to provide the learning tools for all our students during this national crisis.”
To donate and for more information, please visit: www.mtvernoncsd.org/foundation or email at: MVEFBOT@gmail.com.
The Mount Vernon Educational Foundation, Inc., is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible.
