It's hard to believe that the holiday break is right around the corner. Prior to the holiday break, high school students will engage in semester finals. Semester finals are before the holiday break for a variety of reasons that include having the tests taken prior to break, giving the teachers time to grade tests, preparing students for college finals, and less time spent on reviewing for semester finals which allows for more instructional time for other content. This year, after holiday break there will be 10 school days that teachers can use to get in one last unit for the semester. The semester test scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18, Monday, Dec. 20, and Tuesday, Dec. 21st can be downloaded below.
Download Fall 09 Semester Test Schedule
On a separate note, I was scheduled to visit Westside High School in Omaha, NE this week. Thanks to the good old Iowa weather the event was postponed. Apple is hosting schools from around the midwest to see this Omaha high school because of its schedule and technology. This high school has a premier set up with technology allowing each student to have a laptop for the school and personal use. Though I was disappointed to put off this visit to this high school I'm hopeful to still make the trip. Furthermore, I am hosting a couple Apple reps to Hampton-Dumont High School this week to analyze what it would take for our high school to put laptops in the hands of every student next year. Some might question how this would work, the cost, or whether or not it is necessary. I will briefly answer each of these questions one at a time with eagerness to get this initiative off the ground but caution that something like this will need both school board approval and community and staff support.
How would the 1:1 initiative work? I have seen this initiative work on many occasions. First, I was part of the first class at Buena Vista University that had a personal laptop on a wireless campus. I am confident that my three years of using a personal laptop has made me a more effective professional today. I have seen it work and want to give that same advantage to our students.
What is the cost of the 1:1 initiative? The average cost of putting a personal computer in the hands of a student is approximately $400 per student each year. This includes hardware, software, insurance, and formatting. This does not include wireless access points and servers that would be necessary to equip the high school with. If you do the math, this would mean that with just over 400 students in the high school, the cost to the district would be around $160,000/year. This is a significant cost. However, there are multiple ways in which giving each student a laptop will save money in other areas. Most desktop computers at the high school could be used throughout the rest of the district limiting the technology need for other buildings. With digital drop boxes on the computers the cost of printing would be reduced. Like our social studies department, other curricular areas may consider to purchase less textbooks and purchase a cheaper online curriculum which would save money. Lastly, the hope would be that students in our county that are attending other schools may consider wanting a laptop computer and come to HDHS which creates revenue for the school district. Another timely revenue source is the Microsoft settlement funds that our district will receive. Hampton-Dumont High School alone stands to receive almost $70,000. This timely revenue source can be used on laptop computers and could jump start the 1:1 initiative. None-the-less, this initiative is a substantial cost but very worthy.
Is the 1:1 laptop initiative necessary? In short, yes! First, it is an educational game changer. A laptop for every student would ensure that learning is a constant. Student could use the laptop at home, during the school day, and whenever they need to. In a district with 41% of our students earning free or reduced lunches it is realistic to say that not all students in our district have the same opportunities to learn. Some students I work with have never been out of Franklin County let alone own their own computer. As the Iowa Core Curriculum comes out and 21st Century Skills must be met and assessed for every student now is the time for us to prepare each and every student for college. If they don't actually attend college at least they were prepared. And if they were prepared for college they are most likely prepared for a career. Though the state and district budgets are as tight as ever, we still only get one shot to educate each student each school year. We don't have any "do overs" to prepare students for post-secondary success. I am confident and comfortable in getting a laptop in the hands of every HDHS student. I want them to be able to take this computer to each class, use it as instructed, and take it home to explore and continue to learn after the school day ends. There will be issues to resolve with this innovative but the benefits for students far outweigh the potential issues that arise.
Consider learning more about the 1:1 laptop initiative and related research in the following articles.
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