Technology also gives access and skills to students who might not have the chance to use these devices at home, ENSC’s Joanna Cook said. While access challenges remain, CTOs can help students develop real-world skills through a school technology initiative.
“This provides students with the 21st century learning tools and skills they’ll use in college, vocational schools, or in the workforce,” Cook said.
“Lots of times we’ll see kids sitting in the school parking lots, working on their devices, because they don’t have internet access at home—more wireless access points help that,” said Walters.
“It is a challenge,” Farsaii said. “[Coppell] still has 10 percent of our students who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage.”
“Forsyth is a fairly affluent area, so you could argue that a lot more students would have the potential to have the devices, but we do have efforts to look at the equity issues,” Mitchell said. The district established a BYOT Equity Taskforce to that end.
Forsyth also is collaborating with local businesses to establish free Wi-Fi zones so that students without home internet access can find off-campus internet connectivity.
Know your goals
Cook said ENSC decided to implement a one-to-one initiative because it “creates limitless educational delivery systems, uses the enthusiasm and skills of digitally connected students, challenges students through engaging and relevant lessons, and leads to continued improvement of instruction by moving toward project-based learning and away from teacher-led instruction.”
ENSC began its one-to-one initiative in 2011. The district has 600 iPod Touch devices for kindergarten and first grade, 900 iPads in grades two through four, and 2,400 laptops in grades five through 12.
“Choose a device that does what you need,” and CTOs should outline the district’s needs at the beginning of planning the initiative, Walters said. Offering extensive professional development to accompany that device’s implementation is crucial. ENSC maintains technology staff along with peer coaches who help teachers integrate technology as effectively as possible.
Georgia’s Forsyth County maintains a bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) initiative. Mitchell said district officials differentiate between BYOD and BYOT to allow students to bring any form of technology that enhances their learning.
“We see this fantastic opportunity for personalization,” Mitchell said. “It helps our teachers think about differentiation and personalization in a different light. It gives teachers more time to facilitate and take advantage of the fact that students are empowered by their own devices. Teachers will admit, over time, that giving up control is not a bad thing.”
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