Grants Bring New Technology to Kinnelon Classrooms

With help from mini-grants from the Kinnelon Elementary Home and School Association (KEHSA), Kiel and Stonybrook School students will be using iPads in school, but the schools are hopeful to be able to use more tablets in the classrooms and are asking the community to donate first or second generation used iPads.

Kiel Principal Jodi Mulholland said KEHSA purchased one iPad for Kiel and Stonybrook Principal Mark Mongon said two have been purchased for his school.

"These come as part of a grant written by our Guided Study teachers and the technology will be used in those classes to allow students to interact with math and language arts concepts in a highly visual and 'hands-on' manner in order to reinforce and learn fundamental concepts," Mongon said.

As the students will be proving, iPads are not all for fun and games but will be used educationally in the schools. Mulholland said this technology, along with the SMARTBoard technology already installed in the clasrooms, will bring new programs and resources to the kids.

"Now that the SMARTBoard project has been completed (thanks to KEHSA, all classrooms have this technology tool), we are looking to bring iPads into our classrooms to further develop and extend learning for all students. The iPad brings the opportunity to access excellent resources through the many available educational applications," she said.

Mongon and Mulholland did not comment on specific programs that will be used with the iPads, but Mongon said the schools considered how they would be used before bringing them into the classrooms.

"The first step in considering the integration of new technology, whether with iPads or anything else, is to determine how the new instruments can best support learning on the part of students and the most effective delivery of our instructional program," he said.

Mongon said KEHSA is also planning to provide the schools with iPad carts to help make the tools available to the classrooms. While the schools are appreciative for the iPads from KEHSA, Kinnelon Board of Education Vice President Keith Dama said the donation of additional, older generation iPads would be a huge help for the schools and allow for more units to be used by the students.

"Our goal is always to get useful technology to as many students as possible and any donations would speed our attainment of that goal," Mongon said.

Anyone interested in donating a used iPad can contact the Kiel School at 973-838-0611 or Stonybrook School at 973-838-1881