Technology boost

POST FALLS - Ponderosa Elementary fifth-graders became "smarter" on Monday.

During a surprise announcement, teacher Jen Cleave received $3,062 with a CenturyLink technology grant to purchase two walk-and-talk smart boards.

With the smart boards, which allows you to walk around a class while controlling your presentation and whiteboard activities through a remote control, students will experience a "mathematical transformation," said Cleave, referring to the title of her proposal.

"This will be excellent for hands-on opportunities," Cleave said. "Students will be able to interact with technology in a real way. It will make (math) problems more real for them."

The smart boards' remote control allows you to project, write with projected ink, erase, save, print and access the Web. You can also open, close and interact with any application projected from the computer screen onto the smart board. This frees you from having to constantly run back and forth between the computer and the whiteboard.

The other smart board will be used by Ponderosa teacher Rachel Reed.

The two new smart boards will give Ponderosa three total.

CenturyLink, a telecommunications company that merged with Qwest last year, provided $100,000 worth of technology grants to 12 winners statewide this year. One hundred and eight applications were received.

The company has provided a total of $590,000 in grants in the eight years of the program, which was started to help teachers integrate technology into the curriculum.

"This is a great opportunity for CenturyLink to make a positive difference in students' lives by identifying some of those teachers, recognizing them for their outstanding work and supporting them with financial assistance to expand their use of technology even further," said CenturyLink Idaho Vice President and General Manager Jim Schmit.

CenturyLink partners with the Idaho Department of Education in the grant program.

"These teachers know and understand the important role technology can play in the classroom to help individualize instruction and raise academic achievement for every student," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. "I am grateful to CenturyLink for its continued commitment to Idaho's teachers and students."