| A Small District\'s Journey to 1-to-1 |
| Posted by: Susan Einhorn |
| Since October 2012, we have had five teachers piloting classroom sets of Chromebooks in our high school, with plans of going 1-to-1 in the 2013-2014 school year. Chromebooks are personal computers running the Google Chrome Operating System. They are known for their comparatively low cost and fast start-up time, which is why our district decided to pilot these devices. Edenton-Chowan Public Schools (NC) are located in a rural county with approximately 2,500 students in the district and a free and reduced lunch rate of roughly 65%. We needed devices that were durable, were easy to use for individuals with varying levels of technology skill, included support from the company, and were cost-effective. The Chromebooks are used in social studies, English, science, Spanish, and cabinetmaking classes. This cross-section allows us to observe the use of such devices in different subject areas with different students, teaching styles, learning styles, and ability levels. Let’s face it: we’ve been in the 21st century for the past 13 years, and we’re still talking about “preparing students for the 21st century.” This should no longer be our focus. Our focus should be on preparing our students for life in the 22nd century. This is why we’ve investigated 1-to-1 and are determined to implement it. A 1-to-1 environment provides our students digital citizenship and responsibility. It is our effort to close the digital gap (or lessen it as much as possible), provide differentiated instruction, facilitate a change in teaching, provide content to all stakeholders 24/7, engage students in a real-world experience, and present relevant instruction. We’ve found through our pilot that students are more interested in learning, collaboration has been taken to the next level, student engagement is greater, absences are fewer (and when students are absent, make-up work is easier to locate and complete), and teachers are finding creative ways to use the device to support student learning. |
| Source: T.H.E. Journal (USA) | Published: August 21st, 2013 |
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