SACO — At Thornton Academy, students and faculty have been on the forefront of integrating technology into the classroom to prepare its students for a changing world.

Since Former Governor and current United States Senator Angus King proposed the Maine Learning Technology Initiative in 2000, the staff at Thornton Academy has embraced it, believing that this technology comes with many benefits.

Lauren Durkee, an English teacher at Thornton Academy, is a firm believer in its benefits.

“Technology levels the playing field for all different types of learners,” said Durkee.

In the past, lost paper and pencil assignments were a problem for both students and teachers. Durkee said that it is not an issue anymore because the assignments “are saved somewhere and retrievable,” adding that the ability to save assignments to a cloud-based server helps students become “more accountable and honest” about their assignments.

Under King’s technology initiative, schools in the state have relied on Apple products to provide technology to students and staff, and in 2017, Apple selected Thornton Academy as an Apple Distinguished School.

An Apple Distinguished School is a school that has attained a certain percentage of teachers with proven fluency with Apple products. Apple’s website lists only 400 schools that have won this award, rendering it a high honor.

Thornton Academy’s Headmaster, Rene Menard, said that the high school has, “Recognized the importance of technology and how it has revolutionized the way we learn and teach.” With students having access to technology, knowledge is not finite anymore and technology makes it possible for all of us to learn anywhere at any time, he said.

“A flipped classroom,” Teri Arenstam said, “is when you flip what you normally think as class work with homework.” Students watch videos and take notes for homework and in class, students work in small groups on questions pertaining to the content, Arenstam said.

Teachers at Thornton Academy have started using technology to pioneer the way for flipped classrooms. In her Chemistry classes, Arenstam strives to do this.

Arenstam said that the advantage of flipped classrooms is that the students do the toughest part of the work, the homework, in a supportive environment with help from both teachers and peers.

With this easily accessible technology at Thornton Academy, students are reaping the benefits of being prepared for future careers utilizing technology.

Zach Ahmida, a senior at Thornton, said, “Students need technology at Thornton Academy because it resembles how we will have to work in the workforce.” Students need experience with technology because it will be in every workplace, giving students with technical experience an advantage, he said.

Amanda Doyle, Director of Instruction at Thornton Academy has been on the forefront of integrating technology into the classroom. At Thornton Academy there are students from all different backgrounds and the school provides technology in a consistent way that levels the playing field for all students, she said. When using technology, “It’s all about building skills and becoming resourceful,” she said, “because your brain can only hold so much information.”

Not only are students benefiting from technology, but the staff is too said the Director of Technology at Thornton Academy, Ben Nasse.

Using technology helps the faculty to teach students where the students feel comfortable, he said.

“Technology has impacted all the subject areas teachers cover,” going into further detail he said, “whether that be in a gym class where you are tracking calorie intake, or in science class where students are using probes,” Nasse said. “Using technology helps the faculty to teach students where they feel comfortable.” .

Thornton Academy’s emphasis on technology exemplifies its motto: “preparing students for a changing world.”

— Staff Writer Jake Lamontagne can be reached at 282-1535.