On Wednesday morning, Nicole Ullrich’s kindergarten students settled into their spots in the classroom and began to describe the day. It was the sort of scene not uncommon in early-elementary school buildings: students describing the world around them to sharpen their vocabulary, math and science skills.
Youngsters called up to the front of the class giddily approached the whiteboard, moving words and numbers into the appropriate blank spaces as Ullrich offered helpful hints and warm words of encouragement as they navigated the lesson.
As familiar as the exercise may be to anyone with elementary-school-aged children, however, the scene was also emblematic of how Eastchester’s classrooms are being transformed into state-of-the-art next generation learning spaces.
Over the summer, the district took on a major project to improve classroom technology, installing 86-inch interactive displays and teacher laptops in more than 200 classrooms, allowing K-12 educators more freedom in their instruction. Eastchester’s Director of Technology, Robert Jacoby, said that classroom technology upgrades were at the forefront of discussions last year, as administrators believed that more could be done to modernize the district’s learning spaces.
“I saw classroom technology as an enormous priority,” said Jacoby. “Speaking with [EUFSD Superintendent] Dr. Valenti and the rest of the administration, we all agreed that if the classrooms are not up to snuff, they should all be improved.”
Jacoby highlighted the connection between technology and instruction and said that those two facets must work in concert in order to provide the best educational experience for students.
“The importance of pedagogy and instruction is one thing, but when your tools don’t work, it’s disruptive,” said Jacoby. “As soon as we recognized this as a priority, we didn’t want another group of students to go without this critical technology.”
Work began in earnest at the end of last school year, as the technology and facilities departments began to lay the groundwork for the massive undertaking this summer. Jacoby lauded the effort that went into ensuring that classrooms were ready to go for the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
“The facilities department started doing mounting for us in the spring, and once school ended, we went into overdrive, going into each classroom, pulling the old equipment and installing the new,” said Jacoby. “Everyone on the technology team did some terrific work on the project, working around the clock and showing incredible dedication.”
As far as instruction in her kindergarten class goes, Ullrich said that making use of technology is extremely important in terms of preparing our youngest learners for growth.
“Creating routines and understanding school and classroom procedures is key in the early months in Kindergarten and this includes utilizing the technology available in our classrooms,” said Ullrich. “As each day passes, these routines become second nature, and students gain confidence to use these tools as they learn and grow each day.”
She also noted that the fact students will now be using the same technology throughout their time in Eastchester schools should serve to prepare them well on their academic journeys.
“Introducing technological tools in the early childhood grades and continuing to use similar versions as students transition through grades allows for a greater focus on learning,” she said. “The procedures are already in place; now, let's build upon what we already know and keep learning!”
