VILLAGE MANOR AND ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL PARTNER IN TECHNOLOGY

VILLAGE MANOR AND ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL PARTNER IN TECHNOLOGY

Village Manor residents visit with St. Andrew’s kindergarten and first grade students through FaceTime technology and also in person.

Village Manor and St. Andrew’s Elementary School have teamed up to bring residents and students together through iPal, a partnership program they’ve developed using technology.

St. Andrew’s kindergarten and first grade classes were the first students to use the program when two Village Manor residents visited the classroom in person while residents at Village Manor watched simultaneously through FaceTime, an Apple program similar to Skype.

Both facilities were looking for a way to develop the ‘grand friends’ concept through classroom activities.  Students from St. Andrew’s Elementary School visit Village Manor regularly to play bingo with residents, but interaction in the classroom setting was missing.  The idea of using technology was born.

According to Amy Hoch Altwegg, Village Manor Executive Director, the iPal program is the answer.   “Through FaceTime, we’ll be able to bring our residents into the classroom and the kids to Village Manor at the same time without having to deal with transportation issues that are a challenge for both Village Manor and the school.  We can video spelling bees, other classroom activities, and live stream programs such as the Christmas program.”

Chris Bacon, St. Andrew’s Principal and kindergarten teacher, says that FaceTime will be used in all of the classrooms at St. Andrew’s Elementary School.  “We were looking for a way for students, especially the 4^th and 5^th graders, to do more educational activities with the residents.  We’ll use this technology to expand and enhance our curriculum. We also see this as a neat way to introduce the older generation to technology and the many ways we can use it.”

Bacon said that each grade level will do different projects with the Village Manor residents.  There are plans for children to practice their reading skills by reading to residents and they will do interactive music projects. She added, “There are apps for the iPads that we can use to involve both age groups.”  Altwegg and Bacon each pointed out that the touch screen iPads are easy for both the children and elderly to use.

Bacon and Altwegg see the iPal project as a win-win for both facilities.  According to Bacon this project fits in with one of the main missions of the school which is to teach the children to use their gifts and talents to help and serve others.  Altwegg says intergenerational activities are very important to the care center.  “Quality of life is one of the main goals of Village Manor.  Our residents may not have grandchildren in the area that they are able to visit regularly, but we can provide activities for them to develop ‘grand friends’.”

During the initial FaceTime visit, sharing was done by the young and the elderly.  The students sang a song and asked Village Manor residents questions about life in the care center.  The residents talked with the children about their former occupations and why they look forward to visiting with St. Andrew’s students.  Specific details for the next FaceTime visit are being planned now, and the possibilities are endless.

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