November 2007 — News
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Kansas School District Rolls Out 1:1 MacBook Program
Smith said that when the district considered it, they thought that while renovating fields might benefit some students, a laptop program would benefit all of them. And that, Smith said, is a new kind of thinking. Where previously it was a given that some students would be successful while others fell through the cracks, now the district is aiming to make sure that all students are poised for academic success and that none, if at all possible, fall through.
"Technology is one of the things that would allow us to do it. Maybe we wouldn't have the nicest athletic fields, but our goal is to get every student ready to be successful in college," he said.
Also as part of the funding issue, the district decided to lease the computers it gives to students so that, years down the road, it wouldn't be stuck with a pile of obsolete computers, ensuring that future high school students in the district have access to the latest technology available.
As of this writing, the 1:1 Mac laptop program was just in its opening phases. Although teachers received their laptops back in May, students were still receiving their MacBooks as we spoke with Smith. But even on Day 1, Smith said he saw immediate results, with students hopping on their new laptops and exploring the Internet. We will check back in and update this story once the program is in full swing and students have had a chance to get to work on their new systems.
Read More:
About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
Cite this Site
copy text (above) for proper citation
