EAST WHITTIER – East Whittier City School District is equipping first- and second-grade students and teachers with over 1,400 Chromebooks to expand student access to high-quality content and instruction, improve student learning and narrow the achievement gap.

The new technology – added under a multi-year initiative – will strengthen achievement on grade-level California Standards by increasing critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaborative and multi-media research opportunities.

The 2:1 Technology Learning Initiative was launched in 2015-16 to place a digital device in the hands of every two students. In the first year, Chromebooks and Chromebook carts went to students in third grade through middle school.

With the Chromebooks, students can work collaboratively via Google Classroom, a learning platform that allows teachers to create, review, grade and provide feedback on automatically submitted assignments by students. Teachers can also create essays and presentations to support classroom learning.

Chromebooks are favored for their personalized user experience. Their cloud-based storage system enables students to share devices without worrying about the loss of information or secure storage of documentation.

“These tools are enabling our students to learn in relevant, real-world contexts,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Support Services Gabriela Tavitian said. “Our students will gain 21st century skills while becoming familiar with technology needed for our state testing.”

The District will continue to provide teacher training through a technology coach and site tech leaders to maintain best practices for integrating technology into instruction.

“We want to ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in college and beyond,” Superintendent Mary Branca said.

Photo Captions:

EWCSDChromebooks1: Over 1,400 Chromebooks have made their way into the hands of East Whittier City School District first- and second-graders to help improve student learning.
EWCSDChromebooks2: Students can work collaboratively via Google Classroom to strengthen critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.