Integrating iPads and Chromebooks into Learning
Belleville Mennonite School students and teachers are provided with iPads and Chromebooks to use at school as a way to provide preferred engagement in collaborative, creative learning to prepare them for their lives in the 21st century. BMS is committed to providing the very best computing and teaching devices that suit the needs of our students and equips them to effectively use and interact with today's ever-changing technology.
In addition to utilizing iPads and Chromebooks with any curriculum, the school has a high-functioning and up-to-date computer lab, laptops for teachers and SMART Boards for teaching instruction in the classroom. During the pandemic, we successfully navigated from in-person to distance learning, providing resources for students to work from home while utilizing a variety of online technology such as videos, Zoom meetings, and Google Classroom. Even after returning to physical classrooms, teachers continue to integrate technology into many subjects in a variety of creative ways.
Every classroom at BMS has network connections from which students can access both the internal network services that we provide, and the educational opportunities provided by the Internet. There is a total campus wide wireless access where students can connect to the network and internet resources using mobile devices. We require that a faculty member be present at all times when the students are accessing the Internet to ensure that the computer resources provided by the school are being used for profitable educational purposes. We also offer courses in basic computing, such as keyboarding for elementary students. In middle school, students learn basic computing skills such as word processing, spreadsheet, conducting safe Internet searches, as well as explore various computer applications such as 3D drawing, making movies, and computer programming. Advanced courses are offered to high school students, where they learn in-depth concepts such as web design, computer game design, digital video and podcasting, computer mapping, GIS, and computer animation.
At BMS, every student in grades 1-12 has their own Chromebook or iPad and access to our additional computer resources. Each student is provided with personal storage on our network with which they can store their papers, projects and other work that they accumulate. Students in Middle and High School are also given a cloud account which allows them to store documents both at home and at school.