Why an Annual Fund Now?

    It is a great time to be a student. Technology is making learning more exciting – and more fun. In response to education’s shift to the digital age and our desire to increase student achievement, American Renaissance School has refined our technology plan to reflect our own vision of a digital learning environment for all of our students. We want to reach students in ways that are familiar to them and at the same time prepare them for a job market where information sharing has never been more crucial. In order to accomplish our goal and make learning more accessible we need to provide our students with the appropriate technology and skills.
    The students and staff at American Renaissance share a vision for change and the infusion of technology to promote this change.  Our students will be working in jobs which have yet to be created. Our program will help to define what the next generation can do and provide them with a map to navigate the flat world of their future. We need to provide our students with the tools and experience that will help them become successful adult members of the Statesville community and the global workforce.

How will the fund impact elementary students?

    Interactive whiteboards placed in all K-3 classrooms will allow students to move and make physical connections with learning by moving objects and writing on the touch sensitive boards. Laptop carts placed in each fourth and fifth grade classroom will allow more flexible access for student use and help teachers differentiate instruction more readily. Additional handheld technologies implemented in the elementary grades, such as iPod touches, will engage students with education audio and video files, electronic flash cards, and quick student responses so teachers can gauge student learning effectively.

How will the fund impact middle school students?

    The hallmark of our digital learning environment is our plan to place a MacBook laptop in the hands of every sixth through eighth grade student at American Renaissance School. Mobile learning creates opportunities for learning not only inside classroom walls, but outside classroom walls and beyond classroom hours. With Apple MacBooks in the classroom, we will give students the chance to find their creativity and create media rich projects to demonstrate understanding. Students will not only learn their subjects, but will learn powerful and dramatic ways to communicate their knowledge and ideas. Apple will provide us with a digital learning environment that will include the hardware, software, operating system, services, and support all working seamlessly together and delivered by one company. This allows a small school like ours to really focus on what is important with this implementation – student success and inspiration.

What will implementing a digital learning environment accomplish for all students?

    This project will open doors for those who do not have technology at their fingertips and will expand the technological experience for those who do. By creating equal access for students, teachers, and even parents to technology, we hope to increase student achievement, creativity, and engagement in all subjects. Extending access to technology beyond the walls and time parameters of school will increase students’ active research skills and provide them with the necessary tools to develop 21st century learning skills and knowledge. A digital learning environment will support learner centered, interactive, and collaborative classrooms. We also hope to reduce our environmental impact through increased energy efficiency and decreased use of natural resources. This project will help our school and students stay competitive in an increasingly technology dependent and global society.

Review our 2011 Annual Fund Brochure Here