Gainesville seventh-graders receive new laptop computers Thursday

Each of the 42 Gainesville seventh-grade students received a new Chromebook laptop computer Thursday as part of a $93,000 grant the school was awarded in November.
Gainesville R-V School is one of only three Missouri schools selected to benefit from a $12.3 million Investing in Education (i3)grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The three districts awarded the grant – Gainesville, Cabool and West Plains – are participating in the University of Missouri College of Education’s program dubbed eMINTS (Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies), an education program focused on in-classroom coaching/mentoring to help teachers integrate technology into their teaching.
Gainesville Junior High principal Tamitha Ritter wrote the grant proposal, which resulted in a $93,000 award in technology, materials, and continuing education for teachers.
Gainesville school superintendent Joe Donley said administrators are  excited for the students and teachers to have the opportunity to participate in this grant. “We are always looking for ways to incorporate more technology into instruction, and this grant gives us that opportunity and provides training for our teachers to utilize it effectively,” Donley said. 
In addition to receiving their new Chromebooks, the students spent the morning developing class “norms” which are rules on how the students are expected to behave toward each other and toward the materials used in school.  Students also worked on projects in small groups while learning to use the new computers during the eMints Kick-off Thursday.

<p>Gainesville Junior High School principal Tamitha Ritter, left, teacher Vicky Smith and Gainesville High School principal Aaron Dalton help seventh graders Phoenix Rogers, seated, and Andrew Dalton,, standing, with the new Chromebooks they received Thursday, Jan. 5, as part of a $93,000 grant the school was awarded from the U.S. Department of Education.</p>