Technology grant to transform Winooski school’s music program
WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) - Winooski Middle and High School are changing the way they teach music to students thanks to a technology grant.
Every year, the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery and the Agency of Education team up to provide $15,000 in tech equipment to two schools. “It’s called the Educate and Innovate Award. It’s a program in which educators can propose projects that use technology to further learning,” said AOE’s Lisa Helme.
The award focuses on the practical use of technology to increase student engagement with the creation of meaningful, personalized learning programs. This year, Winooski Middle and High School was a recipient of the award and they put the money towards equipment for a new media room in which students can record music, explore journalism, and record podcasts.
“I told the students, ‘We get to pick out all this new stuff. What are you interested in?’ So, it was a collaboration for what we got to choose. And to see their faces when I opened the boxes, and they’re like, ‘Oh, how do I use that?’ And it just sparked so much excitement in their eyes and it was great,” said Mikayla Kelemen, a music teacher at the school.
I’ve always wanted to be in something like this, try how it is, because I always see people do it on TV and I’m like, one day I want to be in their... only experience what they’re doing. So, it really feels great,” said Passy Matendo, 11th grade.
Kelemen says they’re happy the money was able to go towards modernizing their department. “I really, really love the classic music education approach that we have at school. But we were missing so many of our students when we were just focusing on band, orchestra, chorus. And we have a lot of students who like to sing in other languages and like to make music outside of school who now have the opportunity to do that here,” she said.
Students say they are excited to take advantage of the new tech and all the opportunities it can bring them. They say the newly revamped space could also serve as a way to bring the whole school closer together. “I feel like this is just a different way to express yourself through music by using technology. So, it brings in a different group of kids that might not like to play with the violin but like to have the sound of it and be able to use it in a different way,” said Sali Diallo, 10th grade.
The other recipient of the award was Swanton Elementary School. They used the money to improve the school’s 3D rendering technology.
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