Middle school?s 1:1 initiative has exceeded expectations

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

One early morning two months ago, Mt. Pleasant Middle School classes were summoned one-by-one to the school media center.

It was a day that students and staff were awaiting, some with a tad bit of apprehension, others with excitement. As the students waited in line to receive their MacBook Airs, they knew a change was coming in their daily routine.

Some 475 computers were handed out that crisp Monday morning to eager and smiling students, making the middle school the first Mt. Pleasant attendance center to implement the 1:1 initiative.

Enthusiasm toward the new program hasn?t waned one iota since that October morning.

?Things are going very well,? Jason Martinez, middle school principal, said last week. ?Logistically speaking, things have gone much better than I anticipated.?

Martinez said all middle-school students now have access to a laptop. All but about one percent of the students are using the MacBooks while the remainder are using PC-format computers, largely due to parental requests.

?I?m absolutely thrilled with the way things have gone,? Martinez gushed. ?There was a concern whether middle school kids could demonstrate responsibility (having their own computer) and they have.?

Most of the students (approximately 96 percent) take their computers home with them and thus far, there have been only minor maintenance problems. The principal said two of the computers would not turn on and were returned to Apple and the keys detached from another computer.

He noted that the 1:1 has impacted the student body in other ways. ?The kids are engaged and excited about learning,? Martinez explained. ?I also think it has had a huge impact on student attendance and behavior.

?The students now have a tool that allows them to be creative,? Martinez continued. ?They have the ability to showcase what they can do in a different format and that is exciting.?

Additionally, the Internet gives students access to a wealth of information, the administrator said.

But the excitement also extends to the staff, he quickly added, noting that the school has a young instructional staff and a group that is really into technology. That is one of the reasons the school district began the 1:1 initiative at the middle school, whereas most school districts launch the program in the high school.

?We have a younger staff and they are very tech savvy,? Martinez said. ?Mr. Hanna (former middle school Principal Darren Hanna) was a tech guy and over the years, the middle school has been gradually moving to the 1:1. We have a tight-knit group and they are very supportive of each other.?

When Martinez replaced Hanna at the helm, the self-admitted strong proponent of the 1:1 initiative kept the ball rolling. ?The staff had a vision and I am a strong supporter of 1:1. The middle school staff was probably the most prepared and ready for the 1:1 at this time. I am sure the high school will be ready for next year?s rollout (of the 1:1).?

The high school?s technology committee recently purchased 10 Macbooks, five Lenovo and five HP laptops to test out what equipment would work best for the students and staff?s needs.

Technology, Martinez believes, offers many advantages ? all pointing the students to increased student achievement. ?This (1:1) has the instructors excited about how they instruct and present information?The teachers are hungry to integrate technology into the classroom and take things to the next level. They want to make the classroom more interesting for the students.?

He said the primary mission of the program is to increase student achievement. ?Everything funnels down to student achievement. That?s why we are here. The kids have hands-on experience with technology.?

That hands-on experience, Martinez continued, will prepare today?s students for tomorrow?s jobs. ?This is just a great opportunity for the district, this is about getting kids ready for the 21st Century workforce.?

However, he quickly adds that there is much more to education than technology. ?I don?t want people to think that the only good instruction is by technology.?

The 1:1 initiative has been around for close to 15 years in some eastern states, such as Maine, and some school districts in western Iowa have had the program for over a decade.

That being said, Martinez believes that we are just scratching the surface incorporating technology into education. ?I think we?re still in the very early stages of technology in education,? he assessed. ?Technology is always changing and sometimes it is difficult to keep up with its impact on education.

?All things considered, the 1:1 has gone really well here. I couldn?t have asked for things to be better,? he concluded.