Laptop computing programs have been in K–12 schools since the 1990s, but in recent months one-to-one learning seems to have reemerged as a top topic in education technology circles. According to Tim Wiley, senior analyst at research firm Eduventures, about 1,000 of the 15,000 school districts in the United States currently have one-to-one computing programs in one or more of their schools. Though he says these represent only "pockets" of progress, it is nevertheless a promising trend.

At the same time, "Administrators are starting to realize that things like technical support and professional development are grossly undervalued," says Wiley. "The one-to-one programs that have been successful have made sure that quality control, data conversion, and professional development were taken slowly and done properly."

Why the need for comprehensive staff development? In addition to adjusting to new technologies, one-to-one educators must learn to reorganize themselves and how they manage the classroom, as well as transform their traditional instructional methods to fit a new environment—one that's more self-directed, project-driven, and collaborative (see www.rockman.com for data).

Read the complete article for some tenets K–12 technology leaders employ when prepping teachers for the challenges and possibilities of one-to-one.