Grant Helps USM Provide Tablets to Mobile Elementary Schools

HATTIESBURG, MISS. - The University of Southern Mississippi provided tablets to more than 700 students at four elementary schools in Mobile, Ala. USM used a $900,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation to provide tablets to students at O’Rourke Elementary, Maryvale Elementary, and Morningside Elementary, and Just 4 Development Laboratory School. The county public school system believes these tablets will help students learn more concepts easier, such as math, science and even language. “So, the Kellogg Foundation gave the University of Southern Miss. about a million dollars to help four different elementary schools here in Mobile,” Dr. Julie Cwikla, Director of Creativity & Innovation in STEM at The University of Southern Mississippi explained. “This project brings together National Science Foundation research on how little children understand fractional concepts, and we're blending that with Speakaboos which is an international app. One of the best reading apps in the world to write some math e-stories for these kids.” Elementary school teachers in the Mobile area expressed their joy about having a new teaching device. “So excited to have tablets in the hands of all eighteen of my students, it's phenomenal… to enrich their listening to stories, see their understanding of the materials on the tablet... It's really fantastic,” O’Rourke Elementary School Pre-K teacher, Allison Peavy said. Statistics show that children generally struggle with math and fractions once they reach upper elementary school. However, these fraction stories and problems on the tablets could help kids learn these concepts a little easier.