PHOTO SUBMITTED / Cable One business account representative Jullia Ivey observes as (from left) Omarion Brice, Connor Kees, Eli Smith and Morgan Moak use the Chromebooks donated by Cable One Thursday at Lipsey School.

Every classroom at Lipsey School will be equipped with new Chromebooks this school year as the result of a new Cable One initiative designed to improve student access to technology in Title I schools.

Cable One Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Steve Fox said that access to technology in schools is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, and that donating Chromebooks to Title I schools will help bridge the digital divide in schools that lack funding.

Title I schools refer to schools that qualify for federal assistance due to high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families. Such assistance, however, only goes so far.

“While many school systems are taking big steps and working to give every student and every teacher access to the technology and tools they need to learn, not all schools have access to funding to support this effort,” Fox said.

“Because we believe so strongly in improving education through the use of technology, we want to do our part to support the communities where we live and work.”

Lipsey School Principal Sonya Foster said with the recent shifts in state standards and assessments, all schools will have to begin to use technology in new and innovative ways and the Cable One Chromebook donation will help in the effort and will be a valuable tool in the learning process for every student at Lipsey.

“State assessments are no longer the paper and pencil exams that most of us are accustomed to – students are now assessed using technology,” Foster said. “Having access to technology like these Chromebooks throughout the year will allow students to become familiar with it, so that by the time they take assessments in the spring, they are comfortable and confident in using technology to demonstrate mastery of the subject area,” Foster said.

“Technology is a vital part of the world we live in now. Why should the classroom be any different? Technology adds a dimension to the learning process that allows students to interact with the subject area in ways we never dreamed possible,” Foster said.

“Science and Social Studies can come to life through videos and webcasts. Math can be applied to real world situations and literature becomes an experience rather than just words on a page. This dynamic use of technology in our classrooms will engage students like never before.”

Cable One serves more than 720,000 customers in 19 states, including Brookhaven residents, with high-speed internet, cable television and telephone service. For more information about Cable One, go to their website at www.cableone.net.