e -to-One Success
My first experience with one- to-one computing was at Hillcrest Middle School in Ysleta Independent School District (ISD) in El Paso, Texas. As a Texas Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) grant recipient, Hillcrest became a one-to-one campus in 2004. I knew the experience would be powerful. What I didn’t know was how much one-to-one would open up the school day and create new oppor- tunities for learning—opportunities I continue to build on today at Fair- mont Junior High in Pasadena, Texas. I found out that when it’s done right, a one-to-one program can deepen student learning, create more real-life experiences, and help stu- dents take greater responsibility for their education. One-to-one comput- ing also teaches students to be self- directed, allows them to receive per- sonalized instruction, and gives them valuable digital age skills. And because the computers keep the students en- gaged, the classroom becomes a place of excitement about learning, which leads to a decrease in discipline issues and improved student achievement. Something else I learned, however, is that successful one-to-one imple- mentation takes more than just plac- ing a computer on every student’s desk. It requires a transformation of how students learn and teachers
teach. To truly improve learning and
teaching with one-to-one computing,
schools must:
• Provide leadership, training,
and support
• Adapt traditional tools and practices
to support technology immersion
• Use technology to create 24/7
learning opportunities
and support to prepare for the arrival
of the computers and instructional
technology tools, and that continued
throughout the TIP project. What
made the training successful was that
we learned much more than just how
to use the technology; we learned how
to teach with the technology.
From the Top Down
We also discovered that before you
show teachers how to use a technology, you have to demonstrate how it
will affect their students. All teachers
want to help their students succeed. If
a teacher can’t see how a tool or technique will help students improve academically, he/she is are far less likely
to give you buy-in.
From the outset, district and school
leaders must be committed to the
one-to-one model. Administrators
must have a well-conceived plan for
implementation, set high expectations, and hold teachers accountable.
To set the standard, administrators
should model the use of technology
as part of their daily practice. For
example, instead of sending written memos to teachers, they should
send e-newsletters or podcasts. Administrators should also spread their
enthusiasm to teachers, students, and
parents—both through technology
and the old-fashioned way—and they
should listen to teacher input to ensure
they don’t miss any pressing needs.
As with any technology program,
high-quality professional development
is also vital to one-to-one success. At
Ysleta, we received intensive training
One training session at Ysleta began
with a demonstration of a student digital movie. Because we could see what
the students achieved—and the positive effect it had on them—we wanted
to know how to do it. And we saw
how the process of creating movies,
which can easily be done in each core
content area, is motivating to students.
After watching student movies on tessellations for a math class and on tectonic plates for a science class, we saw
how students’ understanding of the
material increased when they created
a project that explains it to their peers.
We also saw that the students were
engaged and focused, bad behavior
decreased, and academic performance
improved.
The teachers then created their own
digital movies using the same tools
their students would use. We learned
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/NICOLAS_ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ STUDIOARAMINTA
When it’s done right, a one-to-one program can deepen student learning,
create more real-life experiences, and help students take greater responsibility
for their education.
