MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Schools received a $2.6 million grant from the Plough Foundation to help fund “blended learning” in iZone schools.
“Like if we need tutoring, we can go on a different website. So, they can assist us, but the teachers can also assist us,” said Sherwood eighth grader Jamar Parks.
WREG learned blended learning is a pilot program in 18 Shelby County Schools, where students get classroom instruction, but also student-controlled instruction through the help of technology.
The pilot began last September.
“Technology is a bigger component of what we do every single day,” said SCS Superintendent Dorsey Hopson.
WREG talked with the students, and they said they were given equipment like laptops, which they can take home and work on.
For many school subjects, students worked on their laptops in the classroom.
Students also used clickers in the classroom, so they can submit answers to teachers’ questions immediately.
Results were collected and then tabulated quickly.
The Plough Foundation toured Sherwood Tuesday because it was providing the money for the next two years of the pilot at eight iZone schools.
Eighteen schools, totaling 12,000 students, in SCS were selected to be a part of the pilot.
“Our grant is $2.6 million contingent on the school board and school system funding the teacher portion of this pilot program, which is about half a million dollars,” said Mike Carpenter with the Plough Foundation.
Hopson said he hopes to be able to expand the program to other schools if the numbers show it works.
Blended learning does not replace textbooks.
“The key to this program and other programs is to show results,” Hopson said.
