home

=One to One Laptop Initiative= //Our schools are challenged to prepare young people to navigate and prosper in this world, with technology as an ally rather than an obstacle. The challenge is familiar, but the imperative is new: we must prepare young people to thrive in a world that doesn’t exist yet, to grapple with problems and construct new knowledge which is barely visible to us today. It is no longer adequate to prepare some of our young people to high levels of learning and technological literacy; we must prepare all for the demands of a world in which workers and citizens will be required to use and create knowledge, and embrace technology as a powerful tool to do so.// //If technology is a challenge for our educational system, it is also part of the solution. To move all students to high levels of learning and technological literacy, all students will need access to technology when and where it can be most effectively incorporated into learning. With the guidance of good teachers with technological facility, computer technology and the Internet can provide students with a pipeline to explore real world concepts, interact with real world experts, and analyze and solve real world problems. Computers and the Internet offer the potential to keep classroom resources and materials current with the contemporary world to an extent that is unprecedented. Computer technology also offers opportunities for self-directed, personalized learning projects that can tailor the curriculum to student interests and engagement, and allow teachers to facilitate active student learning rather than merely the rote transfer of information.//
 * From the state of Maine Department of Education Request for Proposals**

Objective and Outcomes:

 * Create authentic learning environments
 * Provide access to technology that mirrors the real world
 * Increase student achievement and motivation
 * Transform teaching and learning

Participants:

 * 2-3 teachers/classrooms
 * Grades 5-8

Expectations from Participants:

 * Teachers will teach the same group of students for two years
 * Teachers will spend 2-3 days prior to school in preparation and training
 * Teachers will meet monthly in year one to design and explore learning environments
 * Each teacher will receive a laptop computer for at least the duration of the project
 * Teachers will provide detail data throughout the project that is available online

Time Frame:
This is a two year project running from August 2006-June 2008

Budget:

 * 3 mobile units (25 laptops) $ 120,000
 * 3 data projectors $3,500
 * 75 sub days $12,000
 * Network and Technical Support $100,000 (this seems to be the greatest unknown. According to our technicians, they are very leary of the cost/time involved. Any resources that would address the technical aspects (wireless servers, redunancy, access points) would be helpful.

Support:

 * Training and ongoing support by Dean Shareski
 * Technical support by IT department
 * School Administrators

Measure of Outcomes:

 * Completion of training
 * Development of authentic learning objects
 * Detailed journal from each participant
 * Evidence of self directed learning