Lakeville principal and teachers say iPads boost classroom learning in Ridley School District

Gloria Goldie, principal of Lakeville Elementary School in the Ridley School District, said the district’s 1-to-1 iPad initiative has "empowered and inspired our students to discover new possibilities" and helped teachers find new ways to teach.

Goldie, who said she has served 15 years as principal, told the meeting that iPads are used across kindergarten through fifth grade and in subject areas including guidance and creative arts, providing interactive experiences that support collaboration and differentiated instruction.

"Not only have students flourished, but our staff has grown and embraced using technology," Goldie said. She described teachers using iPads to create opportunities for students to become "self directed, lifelong learners."

Jesse Klemmer, an instrumental music teacher who said he works at Lakeview and at Eddystone, described classroom uses in music instruction. "We use iPads as a resource in numerous ways," Klemmer said, including playing example recordings, consulting digital charts, and using metronome apps so students can practice with steady tempo in class and at home. He said he also uses apps such as GarageBand and the web-based Chrome Music Lab for students to create rhythms and melodies that are incorporated into lessons.

Bridal Bayless, a school counselor at Lakeview Elementary, described how iPads are used in a fourth-grade career lesson: students click through an online survey to identify interests, watch videos, research careers and learn about different salary ranges and job possibilities tied to their responses.

Speakers emphasized classroom practice rather than policy change; the transcript records descriptions of current instructional uses and teacher approaches, with no formal motions or district decisions mentioned.