Princess Anne Public School receives technology grant from Best Buy Canada

From books to Chromebooks

Princess Anne Public School has received a significant investment in technology from Best Buy Canada. The school has been awarded a $10,000 School Tech Grant to enhance literacy learning. The grant will be used to purchase Chromebooks, technology that will be accessed by all students in all grades.

The Chromebooks will enable the school to include literacy learning through G-Suite for Education (formerly Google Apps for Education). G Suite enables users to read, write and share as well as collaborate on content through state-of-the-art technology.

“With the support of Best Buy Canada, Princess Anne Public School can now take literacy to the next level,” says Rainbow District School Board Chair Doreen Dewar. “We are most grateful to Best Buy Canada for its generous support of our students. Reading and writing is the foundation for success in all subject areas.”

“We are thrilled and very thankful to have been chosen for a Best Buy School Tech Grant,” says Principal Danielle Williamson. “This grant will give us the opportunity to further integrate 21st century education into all aspects of learning for students.”

“At Best Buy, we know that access to technology is essential for many students in elementary school to develop fundamental skills like literacy,” says Andrea MacBeth, Community Relations Manager, Best Buy Canada. “Our School Tech Grants program aims to put technology in the hands of students so they can achieve their full potential.”

The Chromebooks will enable all students to participate in G Suite, putting Docs, Slides, Sheets, Sites and other applications at their fingertips. In addition to technology available in the library, a mobile cart, full of Chromebooks, will be used in classrooms to support reading and writing initiatives.

Teachers will use these devices in a variety of ways. Google Classroom will provide a forum for students to engage in discussions on reading texts. Students will be able to share their recommendations and talk about how their reading relates to concepts learned in class. Google Docs will be used as a word processing program to support writing. It will also provide a platform for students to collaborate, create and share documents.
Chromebooks support students with special needs. The speech-to-text functions allow students to put verbal thoughts into written words.

Using technology in the classroom increases student engagement and confidence. When students are asked to comment on a text through an electronic forum, everyone contributes to the conversation while practicing their writing skills. This gives students a unique “voice” in their learning and motivates them to continue.

Giving students access to technology also inspires untapped creativity, as students explore the technology independently and create new processes for learning. Technology also prepares students for postsecondary studies and the world of work.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705.674.3171, ext. 7217.