Yesterday, four Second Graders unexpectedly arrived at my doorway, followed by Mr. Lou, our Director of IT. While I could hear their quiet banter back and forth, I was more keenly aware of the muffled giggles coming from them. The students walked into my office and asked to show me their latest acquisition – a chrome book. They promptly followed Mr. Lou’s verbal directions to sit on a chair and login to their device. One student very excitedly said, “Watch this!” The default was set to open to Google, so I asked them to enter the school’s name. They gasped with delight that Rohan Woods appeared, so we showed them how to click on the link. Again, astonished gasps were heard because our website appeared before their very eyes.
I’m a lover of technology and all that it brings to academics, but yesterday, it was much more than that. I was drawn to their excitement about learning and their fresh eyes of innocence and wonder. The students were genuinely proud of their accomplishment and discovery. A few years ago, I read a study that supported how students felt about learning at the end of Second Grade was a better indicator of long term achievement than any test could provide. From what I observed yesterday, I would say these children have very bright futures.