One to One Initiative

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Erin Bailey on February 16, 2013 at 6:06am

The One-To-One institute makes a bold statement that, "Research is clear that to ensure student success, education must move from a teacher - centric to a learner-centric approach." I agree with this statement because many of my learners are on different levels and I am trying to meet many of their various needs at once. Creating the lessons around my students has opened the possibility of meeting each of their needs and accessing the higher order thinking as the students work through self-directed learning. I would love to implement a One-To-One technology program to enhance this student centered approach.

I do not think that a One-To-One program would be possible at my school, because of the cost for implementing the program. The BYOT would be an option, however I know there would be many parents that would not be able to afford the devices, therefore the school would still be using their own money to provide devices.

If money was not a concern, I feel that iPads or Laptops would work best in my classroom. I am really impressed by the education opportunities that have been presented through applications for iPads. My students would be able to apply their concepts to multiple higher order thinking applications. The iPads would also supply the remediation and practice for the students that have additional needs or troubles in learning the concepts. I feel that laptops would also be an option for creating a One-To-One program in my school because of the capabilities of word processing. As a fifth grade teacher, my students are creating lengthy writing pieces and I have found that an iPad is not as easy for my students to type on. Laptops are also the device used to administer the students' state assessment three times a year and I feel that if they were exposed to laptops more often, they would feel more confident and comfortable in completing these assessments.

One issue that I feel would be created through implementing the One-To-One technology would be the response of some of the other teachers. I feel that some of the teachers would feel intimidated by the technology and altering their lessons to focus more on the students. The student centered instruction is very different than the teacher centered that some of them are used to. Others might not be familiar with technology, and be overwhelmed with figuring out how to include the devices into their teaching. I am also aware of teachers that I feel would be ecstatic to have the devices in their classroom and include them into instruction. My school provides many professional developments that have to do with implementing technology into our classrooms, however the technology is not provided which causes frustration.

I would best use the devices for a range of different things. Modules would work well to present the concepts, or the concepts could be presented in the classroom. The devices could be used for practice of the concept, and application along with assessments. The devices could be connected with a program such as Edmodo or CourseSites in order to guide the students' learning, and give them options to complete the self-directed learning.

Permalink Reply by Janine Conley on February 19, 2013 at 2:31pm

Hi Erin,

Wow, I never thought of the idea how being comfortable with a technology device could impact the scores on state assessments.  You're so right!  I think it is important for students to have opportunities to technology that ties in with their learning.  But money is always an issue, and I agree that not all parents can afford devices for their child and that just leaves the school to cover the cost anyway. 

There are really cool apps and software programs that students would enjoy on their tablets or laptops.  We are currently completing a project using Prezi on the laptops, and the students love it.  Although, it is difficult when a laptop isn't working properly or connecting to the network leaving students astray.  My worry for students with one-to-one devices is the responsibility factor of the students.  Things often get stolen out of lockers, I would hate to see a tablet or laptop get stolen!

Permalink Reply by Rachel Bloemer on February 16, 2013 at 9:39am

Teaching in a middle school with 100% free lunch and 80% of the students living in poverty that only way that a one-to-one initiative would work would be in the device was supplied by the school, this would obviously be extremely expensive and not likely. BYOT would be a far fetched idea, as well. While the majority of  students in our school have cell phones, it is not everyone and the cell phone is the only device that they have. I can see theft being a huge issue if students were encouraged to bring their phones to school. Right now, as stated in our Code of Conduct, we are not responsible for stolen or lost devices because they are not permitted in school. If we were allowing them or requiring students to have them the accountability on the school would be an issue I feel.  The most ideal device for my school would be iPads, they are easy to transport and lightweight, I think this would be the best option for middle schoolers and the way technology is developing. While I would love for every student in the school to have their own device it would just not be feasible with the income level of the families who attend our school. I am lucky enough to be one a team where there is a mini & full laptop cart, providing 42 laptops at once. When needed we are able to get all student on a laptop in each period, so that we can work on research, web quests  Google Docs assessments, and other technology applications we have incorporated. I would love it for every student to have an iPad so that I can incorporate the use of apps to engage my students.

Permalink Reply by Kim Cross on February 16, 2013 at 11:12am

The idea of a one-to-one program is a great one! I think that every student would benefit from having his/her own iPad, by being able to load the iPad with textbooks, as well as homework. It would definitely begin to eliminate the paper trail and students leaving their homework at home. Unfortunately with the tight budgets that school systems are currently facing, one-to-one technology seems to be a longshot. My school was awarded $50,000 last year from the state because of our DCAS test scores, and the growth we have made over the past couple of years. We have talks in the works of buying technology with the money, but $50,000 is not enough to purchase iPads for each student. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks my school does come up with a plan for the money. I believe that the only way one-to-one will work is to have the school districts actually purchase the technology. It would be difficult for parents to afford one iPad, let alone several if they have multiple school-aged children. For my school and classroom, I believe that iPads would be the best to have for each child. They are compact and have mostly the same capabilities as laptops. The use of iPads would touch on every child's individual learning style. One of the biggest challenges would be teacher by-in. I think that many teachers might be already set in his/her ways, and be apprehensive to using only iPads in the classroom. The cost of repairs to the iPads could also become an issue, and there would have to be an agreement between the students, teachers, and parents. In my classroom, I would use the iPads to have students collaborate on projects with each other, create multimedia presentations, and complete all of their assignments/assessments. Using the iPads would make keeping data a much easier task.

Permalink Reply by Kim Cross on February 16, 2013 at 9:00pm

I think unfortunately there are always going to be teachers that are resistant to change. Most of the time the changes that come along are best for the students and if all teachers could see the benefits, then we would be focused only on student success!

Permalink Reply by Sarah Johnston on February 16, 2013 at 9:06pm

Stephanie,

You make a lot of great points about the concerns of having a 1:1 technology initiative in schools. I, too, worry about who would be responsible for the cost of the technology, whether it would be the school or the parents. I work in a Title I school, so there are a lot of students who come from a low-income family and don't have a lot of money to spend in general, let alone on a computer. I didn't really think about the repair and upkeep costs that would come from having a 1:1 technology initiative in the classroom, but that is something that also needs to be considered because accidents do happen and that needs to be taken into consideration when starting this type of initiative in a school. I like how you compared the way students maintain their textbooks to an inside look of maintaining the technology because many students treat the textbooks poorly and who knows how they'd treat a computer or tablet computer. I do agree with your comment about your preference with iPads as your choice of technology to use in the classroom because the amount of apps out there is unreal and the many possibilities that can be done as a result of those apps. Maybe someday a 1:1 technology initiative will come to the public schools where students can use them safely and without fear of being financially responsible (for the most part).

Permalink Reply by Sarah Johnston on February 16, 2013 at 8:55pm

I think to initiate a 1:1 technology initiative in my school, the parents would need to receive some sort of discount from the district or a technology company that the district partnered with, such as Dell or Apple, in order to have the parents buy technology for their child to use in school. Ideally, I think it would work better if the district provided students "rental" technology that students can use for the school year. This would alleviate any concerns among parents who can't afford to buy their child (or children) a computer or tablet. My school has a large number of students who receive free or reduced lunch and my school is a Title I school, which results in funding that comes from state and local officials. With all that said, I do think that a BYOT initiative at my school can be feasible with the correct financial support from the district.

I think teachers would find a BYOT initiative to be great in the classrooms because teachers can incorporate the use of technology in their lessons, as students can find videos or play educational games related to the content they are learning about. One thing that I will mention that could be seen as a negative to the 1:1 initiative is that when students have access to technology during the school day and have the freedom to explore as they choose, there is the possibility that students will become sidetracked and not remain focused on the teacher's lesson. There would need to be some type of filter on what students can access while at school to reduce student distractions.

I would best be able to use 1:1 technology in my classroom if the technology was an iPad. There are so many apps out there in a variety of different subject areas that could be effectively utilized if the students had access to their own individual iPads. Students could work on their letter and number recognition using apps that focus on those topics, practice their handwriting using a handwriting application, or students could locate a video on YouTube related to a topic we are learning about in Social Studies or Science. The possibilities are endless!

Permalink Reply by Rachel Bloemer on February 17, 2013 at 7:25pm

I agree that in order for a 1:1 initiative to work in my school/district the parents would need some type of serious discount or the option to "rent" the technology. The biggest obstacle against this iniative is the fact that all of teh students in my school receive free lunch I don't know how we would be able to get all parents on board to supply their student(s) with a device. This would only work if the school district supplied the device and the student used it throughout their time in the school, but this obviously would be very costly. I am also very weary of the idea of BYOT especially in middle school, we have enough trouble keep students off of their phones throughout the day now, when phones are prohibited, I can't imagine how we would be able to regulate their usage if they were allowed on the phones. 

Permalink Reply by Karesa Blagrove on February 17, 2013 at 6:11pm

I am not a teacher but when given the opportunity to pursue my interest in teaching, I would expect that to initiate a one-to one program would depends heavily on the budget of the school. While the idea of giving students technology such as an Ipad or Laptop to use is great, this can be a challenge for schools to maintain. For one, there is no supervision of the devices when they are offsite except for tracking cookies etc, but actual damage to the equipment is possible. The other concern is that even though the student may have the device, they may not be able to access the internet, which perhaps would render having the device useless because most likely they need to use the internet for research. Even though my above mentioned points speaks of the challenges to implement such an initiative, one-to-one programs are very valuable in helping students continue their learning beyond the classroom. It is possible for such a program to have success if the financial backing is in place. Even if there is minimal funding, perhaps this type of program can be implemented starting out with one classroom for the school year. So for example, for 2013, all the students in Grade 10 would have the privilege to have a device for the entire year on weeknights and weekends.

For one-one programs, I envision Ipads/tablets being the device of choice. They are intuitive, easier to tote, great battery life and provides lots of apps that can be helpful to students learning. I am also not sure of BYOT is an option especially for students who cant afford a device. Part of the goal of a one-to-one initiative is to provide students who cant afford a laptop or Ipad, an opportunity to be on equal footing with those students that can, so they can learn and progress at the same pace.

As far as feedback that I would expect from teachers, I would expect them to ask about the safety and privacy concerns of students using devices without supervision. I would expect them to want to experiment with the initiative and give their feedback. I would expect some teachers to say that it does not help students learn better or improve their reading. I expect the feedback to be a mix of positive and negative.

If I had a classroom, I would use one-to-one initiative to conduct more group projects, especially if students are given IPad. They could go on field trips and collaborate together around the assignment. This initiative would also be good for individual assignment, where students can access the students IPad or laptop and provide a live demonstration. Students could also use their device to conduct live presentation of their homework straight from their device. I would use this initiative to understand how my students learn, so I would track their activity on the device.

Permalink Reply by Robin McCarter on February 17, 2013 at 9:49pm

At the school where I work I think the best 1-to-1 program would be attained by using iPads. Currently, each grade level has a set of 8 iPads that have to be rotated between classrooms. If the funding was there I think it would be great to have enough in each classroom for students to each use one. It would be reasonable to expect a phasing in of increased iPad use, maybe starting with the higher grades and seeing how that works out before moving into the lower grades. I am new to the district, but I know they are not adverse to technology. There are Smart Boards in just about every classroom and many technology programs throughout the district. I do not see BYOT as an option since I work in an elementary school, but I could see it being beneficial to a middle or high school. There are so many apps and programs that can supplement curriculum and provide more experiences for students that I think we should do what we can to ensure that students have access to them in the classroom. Using iPads makes sense because they are portable and more affordable than laptops or desktop computers. I would love to have a set of iPads available to use in my position as an intervention teacher. There are so many great programs and apps that would help to engage the students and increase their proficiency in the skills they need to improve. I work with small groups and I could use the iPads to enable the students to practice skills and review flashcards instead of having to carry multiple sets of papers around. 

Permalink Reply by Danny O'Connor on February 18, 2013 at 12:31pm

I believe a One to One initiative is a very good possibility in my school and district.  Currently, our school has several laptop carts that move around the building quite often and in use by many teachers.  We also have a computer lab with over 30 computers.  Each classroom is equipped with at least 4 or 5 student computers.  Our district has a very big push for integrating technology into school curriculum.  Giving students as much technology time as possible has been a topic of much discussion lately and the more information that is learned about technology, the more likely we will see a one to one initiative.  I think it is an initiative that is not a question of yes or no, but rather how soon can it be reasonably implemented.  If we don't equip students with technology tools, we are not meeting their educational needs.  We are not giving them opportunities to be successful in a technology era.  As far as the financial part of a one to one initiative goes, I would have to do more homework and research to find out how difficult it is to outfit each student with a technology device.  With that being said, I think we should begin to allow students who can bring in their own devices to do so.  I think their will always be the argument that some children will not have access to these devices.  I don't think that students who can bring them in should suffer as well, they should be allowed to benefit from them in this technology era.  I don't know what the exact answer is for getting every student set up in a one to one initiative, but I imagine their are some creative solutions.  

As for devices, I would like to see what works in other classrooms first before I made a final decision.  I think tablets are great for classrooms and can be extremely beneficial for students.  They are smaller in size than laptops and computers which helps with space.  They don't require a mouse which may or may not make them easier to navigate.   However, if it is a BYOT set up, than many students already have phones for different reasons.  If students have smartphones already it may make a one to one initiative much easier to accomplish.  Obviously, the problem with BYOT is monitoring acceptable use.  How does an educator keep track of what students are doing on their own devices?  What type of procedures are in place to keep students using their own devices for educational purposes?  Again, these are questions that I can't answer without discussion and research from other educators in the building and district.  I do believe that this will be a challenge to create a one to one initiative but can change the face of education and how instruction will be implemented.  I also believe that we have to hope students will make the right choices at the right times and we are unable to micromanage these devices so much that we are not using them with students.  

The type of feedback that I would expect to see from teachers is probably the same feedback you get with any new initiative.  Some teachers despise any change, some teachers love it, and some are not sure what to think until it is implemented and like to see other people try it first than jump on board.  I think technology devices should be implemented first in teachers rooms who are excited about technology and want to use it as much as possible.  I also believe that the districts and states need to begin working closely with college education programs to get future teachers motivated and inspired by technology and how they can begin implementing technology.

Permalink Reply by Colleen Martini on April 17, 2013 at 5:59pm

Danny, you have made some excellent points! I definitely agree that if we do not equip students with technology tools then we are not meeting their educational needs! I wish more teachers thought along those lines! I think it would be a great idea to let students bring in their own devices on the pretense that they would need to follow policies and procedures already set in place by the school. It would be very difficult to manage these devices in the classroom however, they should only be brought out when in use etc.

I like what you said about how districts should give teachers that are excited about the technology time to use it in the classroom. I think this would be an excellent idea for motivating teachers who are not so enthused about the idea of one-to-one. These excited teachers would be very diligent in researching how to use it and what to implement! I would love this idea! Then when the time comes for everyone to implement the technology in the classroom, there will be teachers who have the experience and can act as the "expert" in the school.

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