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LEADERSHIP
Headlines
Pennsylvania's Classrooms for the Future Progressing
Pennsylvania has added 152 school districts to the state's Classrooms for the Future, a program that provides laptops to high schools.
Bryan One-to-One Program Now Expanding to Third Middle School
A successful laptop program at two middle schools in Bryan, TX, has earned the district the chance to extend the program to a third school.
South Dakota Governor Continues Laptop Battle
Governor Mike Rounds has found a way to launch a leaner laptop program after his proposal was rejected by the state legislature.
South Dakota Governor Seeks to Restore Laptop Budget
Governor Mike Rounds believes that cutting funding in year three of the state’s laptop program would be a serious mistake.
Expanding on Success in Chelsea, Michigan
Positive reception to Chelsea School District's sixth grade laptop program has administrators hoping for expansion to grades seven and beyond.
Seeking Laptops in Spite of a Tight Budget
Funds might be tight in Edgecombe County, NC, but district leaders feel that an investment in one-to-one technology is worth it.
Intel Chairman to Co-Chair Education Non-Profit’s Board of Directors
Achieve, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that helps states raise academic standards, improve assessments and strengthen accountability, announced that Intel chairman Craig R. Barrett will co-chair its board of directors.
Intel's Chairman Comments on the Future of U.S. Education
In recent commentary for Forbes magazine, Craig R. Barrett addresses the crisis in American education today and what we can do about it.
Tossing Out Textbooks
In 2005, Empire High School in Tucson, AZ, made headlines for its decision to forgo textbooks in favor of the digital resources that a wireless one-to-one environment could make possible. Here's an update.
Technology Rescues At-Risk Middle-Schoolers
Students from Escambia County School District in Pensacola, Florida, recently got the chance of a lifetime – to start afresh in a high tech academy dedicated to academic excellence.
Laptops exceed expectations in Kansas City
Students, teachers and administrators in Kansas City love their laptops.
Maine Newsletter Valuable to All
MLTI's quarterly publication offers tips, resources and profiles of interesting projects.
Louisiana Begins Laptop Pilots
As part of the launch of a new statewide one-to-one initiative, 3,530 Louisiana sixth-graders recently received laptop computers.
IB Charter School Plans Include Laptops
A South Carolina charter school, still in the planning stages, aims to help at risk, low-income students excel with help from laptop computers.
Tempting Tablets
A look at how to make the ‘write’ choice between a tablet and a notebook computer.
Seventh Graders Get Laptops in Cameron, TX
Cameron is one of 22 school districts to get laptops – and some great support services – for the 2007-08 school year through Texas' statewide TIP program.
14 Tips for Negotiating Software Agreements
Advice from two experts on software licensing and service agreements.
Tahoma Joins Other Washington State Districts in Piloting Laptops
Approximately 80 Tahoma Senior High School sophomores will receive laptops this year to use in the classroom and at home.
More...
LEADERSHIP

The Facts:  

Twenty-first century career skills demand the use of computers to be competitive in the global economy.

While nearly all U.S. schools currently use computers, the demand to create one-to-one access for all students is increasing exponentially.

To ensure access to technology, leaders must create a vision, enlist others and successfully develop a strategic plan to accomplish educational objectives that maximize the use of technology.  

Build a Task Force…  

  • • Start this conversation at the state or school district level.
  • • Loosely define short and long-term goals.
  • • Include the community.
  • • Limit the number of people on your task force.
  • • Enlist the support of other key stakeholders.

 Identify Stakeholders…

 A one-to-one initiative impacts the entire district — teachers, administrators, students, parents, board members, IT staff, facilities and procurement staff, and curriculum specialists.

  • Everyone impacted by one-to-one computing has the potential to become a champion for the project.
  • Early buy-in is mission critical for the initiative.
  • Be practical while seeking the ideas, needs and input of all stakeholders.
  • Minding these considerations facilitates identification of key objectives.
  • In the end, the leader must make decisions and implement them.

 Determine Objectives…

  • Student Achievement • Revitalize Student Interest
  • Reduce Drop-Out Rate • Change Teaching Methods
  • Individualized Learning • Improve Technology Skills
  • Increase Job Skills • Eliminate Digital Divide
  • Extend Access to • Improve Communication the Community

 Align Existing Policies...

  • Create a strategic plan • Consider funding long term
  • Create a policy document • Review security policies
  • Consider sustainability • Establish usage policies
  • Review procurement • Evaluate district policies technology standards

 Create a Strategic Plan…

 A successful strategic implementation considers three elements: people, process and technology.

  • Do a gap analysis.
  • Learn from the experiences of others.
  • Forecast technical infrastructure needs — expect to increase capacity.
  • Consider beginning with a pilot or smaller scale implementation or use a phased approach.
  • Seek vendor expertise to estimate project cost.

 Maximize Communication…

  • Begin at the grass roots level — form a task force.
  • Use written, oral and electronic communication.
  • Communication needs to occur at milestones,
  • informing stakeholders of major progress.
  • It is crucial for people to understand what is changing,
  • when the change will occur and the potential impact
  • of the implementation.

One-to-One Logistics
Check out these practical presentations as part of an archived webinar on "One-to-one Planning and Logistics: How-To Tips from the Experts."


Change the Culture…

TIME… Allow those involved adequate time to adjust to changes. Effective communication ensures project success because informed and gradual change is easier to accept.

TALK… Hold special briefings for key stakeholders, detailing project specifics. Share written information so they can take it to all affected parties.  

PLAN… Prepare a written communication plan and establish accountability for communication and change management impacts. Identify and include change readiness tactics, impacts to individual jobs, policies and procedures, and an information flow chart outlining channels of communication.  

DEVELOP… What additional skill sets does the new equipment require? Provide training for all skill levels.

 LEARN… Study the successes and failures of others. Be open to large and small-scale technology implementations in other school districts, states or countries.

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