By Christina Burke
Features Editor
With new technological innovations in the classrooms, it is now possible to perform dissections with just one finger. How? There’s an app for that.
Coppell High School anatomy teacher Jodie Deinhammer has been teaching at CHS for 16 years and has witnessed firsthand the gradual change to 21st century learning.
“Technology is the future,” Deinhammer said. “Everything is going digital. [Coppell ISD] has always been known as a district that is ahead of everyone else, and if we don’t take that leap, we will no longer be considered a leader of education.”
Deinhammer has always been ahead of the game with technology in the classroom. Two years ago, she was a finalist in the Tech Titan High School Award, given by the Dallas Business Council for outstanding use of technology in the classroom. This year, Deinhammer’s classroom technology has allowed her anatomy class to go global.
iTunes U is an innovation by Apple Inc. that can be downloaded as a free application for students all over the world to enroll in any class offered. Coppell Independent School District has piloted one course on the program this year, Deinhammer’s Anatomy and Physiology, which has grown to be more successful than originally expected.
“I have an iTunes U course, and it has 46,000 subscribers from all over the world,” Deinhammer said. “It was not set up for that purpose; it was set up for just my class to use, but anything on iTunes is public.”
With the presence of classmates from all over the world, Deinhammer’s CHS students realized the incredible benefits and advantages of completing their course work on a new technological basis.
“The world is becoming overrun by technology, and having a class that is almost completely technology based makes me feel ready for anything college might throw my way,” senior Madison Coleman said.
Other teachers with iPad privileges admire Deinhammer’s use of the advanced technology in the classroom and hope to implement it as effectively as she does in the future.
“The iPads have so many possibilities and allow students to customize their own education,” English teacher Tracy Henson said. “There are so many things that you can do with the new technology; it gives so many opportunities for students to enhance their own individual learning.”
Though adjusting to the new and different online curriculum was a struggle for students in the beginning, the learning experience has proved both educational and interesting.
“I had never realized the extent of the possible uses of the iPads until this year,” Coleman said. “It was really hard to adjust to the use of technology in Mrs. Deinhammer’s class. Almost everything is on the computer, which was something I have never had to do before.”
With the transition to a virtual anatomy class, the possibilities are endless. Between visually accurate dissections of animals and professional medical procedures, there is an app for everything the students need to learn the required material.
“Technically, when I am done with it, you should be able to take anatomy almost virtually or blended where you come to class to do the labs but everything else you can do on your own with an iPad,” Deinhammer said. “I am using the technology that we have and trying to make the class easier.”
