Gillibrand tours Watkins middle school classes

WATKINS GLEN – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) toured Watkins Glen Middle School Friday, checking on the progress of a federally funded project called “Learning-On-The-Go.”
The project – a cooperative effort between the Greater Southern Tier Boards of Cooperative Education and the Watkins Glen School District – was one of 20 chosen nationally to receive up $170,000 in funding through the FCC.
The federal monies were allocated so that middle and high school students could get access to virtual classroom software and use smart phones and net books in class.
In a classroom, Gillibrand watched a brief demonstration of how the students have learned to use wireless technology - and the Internet – to research.
She also watched a demonstration of the students using a chat function of their mobile devices to problem solve as a group.
Gillibrand is credited as being instrumental in helping BOCES and the district obtain the funding for the mostly after-school project.
Watkins Glen Superintendent Tom Phillips said that the success of the pilot project has the district hoping to expand it to the high school.
In the Watkins District, about 40 percent of students do not have Internet access at home, he said.