A Laptop For Every Student

Without question, students love technology.  It is their preferred mode of communication.  Our task as educators is to tap into students’ passion for technology and use it to spark their interest and as a result, enhance their learning. 

Logo for NC New Schools Project

In 2007 the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 1473, the North Carolina 1:1 Learning Initiative.  The bill recognized “the value of laptop technology as a means to preparing North Carolina's most disadvantaged students for the demands of a modern workplace and a 21st century economy.”  Public and private institutions help provide resources in order to enable these mostly low income students and their teachers to have 24 hour access to laptop computers.  Davidson Early College is one of eight schools who are participating in this program.  

Thomasville High School also provided laptops for the 2010-2011 school year for each student with $1.5 million in funding from an IMPACT grant.  Principal Deboy Beamon points out that although monies were saved by reducing the amount spent on textbooks, the laptops will soon be outdated and have to be replaced.  Currently no federal funding has been earmarked to replace the computers when they are obsolete.

Logo for Mooresville Graded Schools

School systems across the country are investing millions of dollars to purchase laptops for each student.  With every dollar counting more these days, what is this the best way to marry technology with learning?  The Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD) with its motto “Every Child, Every Day”, made the commitment in 2007 to an initiative called “Digital Conversion.”  The school system purchased laptops for all students in grades four through twelve.  Students are allowed to take these laptops home with them so they have 24 hour access.  Third grade classrooms have laptops on carts.  All classrooms from kindergarten to grade three also have SMART Boards, SMART Slates, and SMART Response Devices.  

On its website, MGSD shares its goal to improve teaching and learning by increasing student engagement: “It is imperative to note that this project is a curriculum and instruction project, not a technology project. Through this paradigm shift in methodology, we are changing the way teachers teach and students learn, while utilizing an awesome set of technological tools.”  MGSD set about accomplishing its goal in the right way.  Before they began issuing laptops to students, teachers received laptops themselves.  A year was spent in intensive training for teachers.  Training continues each year through the use of professional learning communities and staff development on early release days.

The results of providing students with laptops and with changing the focus of the classrooms from being teacher centered to student centered have been quite positive:  

• Lessons have been enhanced with more critical thinking, project based learning, and problem solving and inquiry based activities.  
• The district has a 40% free and reduced lunch population.  MGSD has “leveled the playing field” between the students who can afford home computers and those who cannot by providing the laptops to all students.  
• Student performance on North Carolina End of Grade Tests has increased since the Digital Conversion program began in the fall of 2007.  Composite student scores on North Carolina End of Grade Test increased four percentage points from 2009 to 2010.  

Source: NC School Report Card 2009-2010

Source:  NC School Report Card 2009-2010

The key to success in a laptop program for all students is commitment across the board.  The district must commit to providing the funding to maintain the equipment and offer adequate tech support to students and staff.  Providing students with their own laptops is one way to make students responsible for their own learning.    With their own laptops, students are more likely to commit to become more active participants in their education, completing their assignments and creating innovative projects.  Teachers must also dedicate themselves to learning how to teach with the computers in engaging and challenging ways.  In the MGSD, 85% of the teachers attended voluntary training over the summer to prepare for the Digital Conversion. With the combined efforts of students, staff, and district level support, making a laptop available for each student will result in increased student engagement as well as an increase in student learning.

References

Davidson Early College.  1:1 Information Center.  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from Davidson County Schools: http://www.davidson.k12.nc.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectiondetailid=38268& .

High Point Enterprise.  Laptops Speed Learning at Thomasville High.  Retrieved July 14, 2011 from High Point Enterprise:  http://www.hpe.com/view/full_story/10503765/article-Laptops-speed-learning-at-Thomasville-High.

Mooresville Graded School District.  Mooresville Graded School District Homepage.  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from Mooresville Graded School District:  http://www.mgsd.k12.nc.us/MGSD/Home.html.

Mooresville Graded School District.  Mooresville Graded School District Homepage.  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from Mooresville Graded School District:  http://www5.mgsd.k12.nc.us/staffsites/digitalconversion/Digital_Conversion//MGSD_Digital_Conversion.html.           

NC School Report Card.  Mooresville City Schools High Student Performance Data 2009-2010.  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from NC School Report Card:  http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/distDetails.jsp?Page=2&pLEACode=491&pYear=2009-2010&pDataType=1.

NCTIES Blog.  The Mooresville Technology Revolution.  Retrieved July 10, 2011, from NCTIES:  http://www.ncties.org/blog/index.php.

North Carolina New Schools Project.  One to One.  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from North Carolina New Schools Project:  http://newschoolsproject.org/our-schools/school-models/one-to-one.   

You Tube.  Smart Boards:  Why Are They So Easy To Use?  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U05WeXPGlk.

You Tube. What Does 1 to 1 Access Really Do For Students?  Retrieved July 14, 2011, from You Tube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxPpUmdDv6I.