TES teacher pursues her tech passion

The need for technology in the classroom is continuing to expand, but the reality is many schools
and teachers don’t have access to the funding necessary to provide the newest technology to their
students. Luckily for the students, passionate and dedicated teachers often make it their mission
to provide these resources for them.

Elizabeth Wilson is one of those proactive teachers.
Wilson is a fifth-grade reading teacher at Tharptown Elementary School. She has been at TES
for a few years now, and in that time she has managed to create a one-to-one classroom for her
students. A one-to-one classroom is one in which each student has access to his or her own
technology device.

“We are in a world that is so controlled by technology. It’s how the students thrive,” Wilson said.
She applied for and received the first grant for her classroom about three years ago, for $2,400.
She purchased eight Chromebooks with it and $800 worth of chapter books for her students.
Wilson has also received a $1,000 grant and was able to buy an Apple TV, two more
Chromebooks and seven Kindles for her students. Through other methods, like donations, she
has been able to acquire more Kindles and Chromebooks. It took three years, but she finally
reached her goal of having a one-to-one classroom.

“I want them to have the opportunity to be exposed to this technology. They deserve it the same
as everyone else,” Wilson said.

Recently she received another grant of $319 because she was nominated for and won WHNT’s
Tools for Teachers grant. A fellow TES teacher nominated Wilson for the grant because of her
work with acquiring grants for the school and for her classroom.

Wilson said she has an idea for how she wants to use the grant money, but she has challenged her
students to write an essay about how they think the money will be best used in the classroom.
“They’re excited about being involved and getting to express their opinion on it,” Wilson said.
As for being nominated for the grant, Wilson said she was caught off guard and a little
emotional.

“It’s very encouraging that she thought of me and took the time out of her day because she
thought I was worthy enough,” Wilson said.

Wilson has found many uses for the technology in her reading classroom. Students are able to do
assignments through Google Classroom; parents are able to see what their child is doing at
school; students are able to do immediate research for their research papers; and there are several
different websites they use as learning tools.