The future of technology will soon become a reality in WW-P. The district’s “1-1” technology pilot program will be available for select fifth grade classrooms next year. By the following school year all fifth and sixth grade classrooms will be using the 1:1 program, in which all students in those grades will receive their own electronic device — a Google Chrome Book — to keep for the remainder of their years in WW-P schools.
According to Assistant Superintendent Martin Smith, four fifth-grade classrooms at Village School and four at Millstone School have been selected for the pilot 1:1 program. “We will not be releasing the names of the teachers yet, but they will be attending professional development training over the summer to ensure that they are prepared for the pilot. They have already gone to Hillsborough [a district already using the 1:1 program] to observe its use in action,” said Smith.
Continued Smith: “We chose the classrooms carefully, to ensure that the widest variety of children would be involved. There will be a diverse range of classrooms, such as inclusion and paired-teacher classrooms; and we will carefully consider student demographics as well.”
Added board member Dana Krug, who is part of the technology committee: “We decided to start the pilot program at the fifth grade because it’s at a point in their education that the students are still taught primarily by one or two teachers, and are not moving from classroom to classroom, which would facilitate the professional development and the technical mechanics of the program. Moreover, we felt that fifth graders are more cognitively and developmentally ready to handle using the devices.”
The idea to use a “1:1” program was not originally part of the technology plan. Said Smith: “We originally had a BYOD concept — bring your own device — to keep down costs and allow students to choose the devices they wished to use. But two of our most important goals are equity and access. We just couldn’t figure out how the concept of BYOD would ensure equity and equal access-among schools, or among students. Plus, how to ensure that teachers would receive the proper professional development if students are all using different devices?”
Krug agreed. “Ensuring that the students will all be using the same devices, provided by the district, is the right decision,” she said. “It promotes consistency in instruction, and levels the playing field for the students. For example, in a few years, some standardized tests will be given online. If we implemented a BYOD policy, those students with newer, faster, and more advanced devices would automatically have an advantage over those students who had older models. Because of the new assessment requirements, teachers would be affected as well.”
According to Smith, the biggest expenses for the 1:1 program will not be this year, but the following two years. “The pilot program will cost about $65,000. To fully equip the fifth and sixth grade classes the following year will cost about $450,000, and to continue the program the year after that will cost an estimated $225,000. We will monitor the program to ensure it is working, and that the costs are being allocated appropriately.”
“The reason we chose Google Chrome Books is because they are very light, but have a full keyboard. We will buy protective sleeves to help cut down on the risk of damage. The students will be connected to our wireless system, and data will be stored on the ‘cloud.’”
“Students will have their own accounts, as will teachers. The teachers will be able to access the students’ accounts once the information is shared. We are also looking at various management systems that will be employed by the teachers to ensure that the students are not using the chrome books in ways they shouldn’t. Parents can access accounts if students provide access.”
Continued Smith: “In addition to training teachers and students, we will also have informational sessions for parents. The first one will be for parents whose children are in the pilot classrooms, and that will likely be held the first full week of school in September. We will continue to have training sessions for parents, especially as we get closer to the full implementation.”
Smith emphasized that the new technology plan is not just about the 1:1 program. “We are building a clearly articulated computer curriculum for grades K-8 so that all students will benefit. We will hire a specific computer specialist teacher for grades 4 and 5, and will be providing professional development to all teachers in all grade levels. We have made sure that all the third grade classes have smart boards, all of the first and second grades have classroom iPads, and we will be ensuring that all classrooms have projectors installed, so that everyone is on the same playing field.”
The older students “will continue to have access to computer labs, media centers, and access to the ‘cloud.’ The best way to have a program fail is to make it too large in the beginning to sustain. As we evaluate the 1:1 program, if we need to expand it to additional grades, we will.”
“The purpose of the technology plan is not to just provide devices. They are just tools to increase the students’ learning,” said Smith. “We view technology as the piece that will enable our district to move away from just covering information in the curriculum to discovering it.”
