2 Day STUART Training Workshop Proves Beneficial to Arkansas Teachers

Friday, Nov 21, 2008

Twelve teams of middle school teachers attended a two-day training workshop on the Classroom Performance System (CPS) as part of a STUART grant they received earlier this year. The STUART-Grant Program, funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, provides funds to Arkansas public middle school teachers to use technology in their classrooms for teaching science. The $5,500 grants provided teachers with the CPS system, CPS Chalkboard, a projector, and a laptop computer.

CPS, a student response system provided by eInstruction, allows teachers to keep their students engaged in the classroom using CPS computer software and student handheld response pads. The software is controlled by the teacher, and each student is assigned a response pad that he or she uses to answer questions during lecture or educational classroom games. The response pads also offer a way for more hesitant students to be involved in classroom activities. Additionally, the software provides immediate feedback, which enables teachers to assess their students daily instead of waiting until the exam. The CPS Chalkboard allows the teacher to draw, navigate, and interact with the laptop from anywhere in the room.

The response from the teachers in training was immediate and overwhelmingly positive.

“This hands-on training has been priceless; I don’t have to worry about getting back to the classroom and not being able to work the program,” said Ulanda Branch of West Memphis Middle School.

“I really enjoyed the training on the CPS systems,” said Leslie Lyons of RBMS Bentonville. “I can't wait to get it into the hands of my students, because the instant feedback and hands-on materials are both invaluable.”