Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Baltimore County, MD, recognizes the importance of giving students a solid foundation in technology. The school is committed to developing graduates who are lifelong learners and work for social change. So when Our Lady of Mt. Carmel needed an effective way to put technology in the hands of its 560 students, the school turned to Verizon.

Challenges

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Mobile broadband, Mobile Learning

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel had found that the increasing cost of books and learning tools was becoming prohibitive. Because a new technology program is such a large financial investment, anything purchased had to supplement the students’ education and be integrated into lesson plans. Another challenge was that Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is in an older building with inadequate access points, which made getting network coverage difficult. A final concern was a lack of student engagement. The school wanted students to be engaged in learning in a more hands-on way.

Solutions A Verizon educational consultant helped the school determine which technology best suited its needs and helped guide them through the application process for the Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program of the Universal Service Fund, which provides discounts for telecommunication services, Internet access and internal connections.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel www.olmcmd.org School description: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was founded in 1927. The school serves about 560 students from pre-K through 12th grade. Challenges: • The small school has limited resources and needed to fund any new technology itself. • The school is in an old building with inadequate access points and network coverage. • There was a lack of student engagement with learning material. Solutions: • Verizon reps helped the school navigate the E-rate Program and find the best technology for its needs and budget. • Verizon installed repeater antennas so the school had better network coverage. • The school purchased 106 Samsung Galaxy Tab devices, which are rotated between teachers.

Case Study

Results: • The school was able to purchase the technology it needed with existing resources. • The repeater antennas increased network coverage and improved tablet use. • Students are more engaged with hands-on learning.

Verizon also had a solution for the school’s network problems. Access points were improved by installing a repeater antenna on the roof and in the hallways. In 2012, the school purchased more than 80 additional tablets. The teachers take turns using them and plan their lessons accordingly. Now all students in every grade have access to the new technology.

Results In 2011, the school purchased 20 Samsung Galaxy Tab® devices for its science program. The educational consultant worked with teachers to show them apps and software they could use for their lessons. “Lots of schools put equipment in student hands without being ready to utilize it. Verizon helped prepare our teachers so the interaction with technology was meaningful,” says Kathleen Sipes, president of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has developed a strong technology program by incorporating tablets into teachers’ lesson plans. Students now use technology to learn in a more hands-on way.

Benefits of Verizon technology for students and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

technology at more affordable rates. Because the school rotates tablets among teachers rather than providing a tablet for every student, the school gets more use from its investment and students get the exposure to technology that they need. Better coverage. After Verizon installed repeater antennas at the school, network coverage and tablet usage improved. More student engagement. According to Sipes, participation and collaboration has increased with tablet use. At a holiday concert, for example, first graders played a song on their tablets. Students started an app club to develop apps that can benefit the community. In addition, biology students took more interest in their frog dissection project because tablets enabled them to do it virtually.

Efficient use of financial resources to give students technology access. Verizon representatives helped the school purchase

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