Staff Writer
Some of Chapel Hill's youngest students are learning their ABCs with the help of a little technology and some brand-new computers.
Community Schools for People Under Six, a pre-kindergarten school located on Caldwell Street, received two new classroom computers in November to supplement students' education.
A grant sponsored annually by IBM and United Way provided the school with the computers. The companies give either funds or technology to nonprofit community schools meeting high standards of education and programs.
Anna Mercer-McLean, the school's director, said that updating technological capabilities would help bring better care to families depending on the school for their children's education. "Our goal is to maintain and have quality care," she said. "We serve a lot of low-income families, and we are very committed to meeting the highest standards for education and care that we can."
Chantel Ledesma, a master teacher at the school, reported success in using computers to help develop students' math and spelling abilities. "It's a challenge to teach the younger children how to use (the computers), but it's nice to be able to incorporate the computers into our learning center time," she said.
Each computer seats two students at a time and most programs are interactive, allowing students to work together to complete tasks.
Some games are more instructional than others, but each incorporates an activity with an academic concept. "I like the computers because they help me learn how to spell," 5-year-old Lady Johana said, while correctly matching the word "mushroom" to its picture on the screen.
After 30 years of serving students, the grant providing the computers marks the first time funding has specifically been allocated to improve technological capabilities.
