District 300 considers providing devices for all students
Students at an Algonquin-based school district might get their own computing devices next school year.
The Community Unit District 300 school board will consider a one-to-one technology initiative proposal at its Jan. 12 board meeting.
The district is ready to deploy devices beginning in the 2016-17 school year to all students entering first through eighth grades to enhance classroom instruction and student learning, officials said.
District officials addressed the infrastructure and wireless needs at the elementary and middle schools last summer. Improvements included upgrading the wiring, wireless accessibility and expanding bandwidth at the district's six middle schools and 17 elementary schools.
Officials plan to move toward a fully aligned curriculum with digital content and online supplements.
At the preschool and kindergarten levels, students would receive iPads, which provide an intuitive interface and a wide selection of educational applications aligned to kindergarten readiness standards. The device also promotes fine and gross motor skills and development, officials said.
Students entering first through eighth grades would receive a Google Chromebook. They can use it to access digital learning content, including textbooks that will be phased in during the next three to four years, create class projects, collaborate with classmates, and complete homework assignments.
For high school students, the initiative is tied to course selection. Students at Dundee-Crown, Hampshire, and Jacobs can enroll in courses offering a 1:1 device deployment. New high school courses are reviewed and added each year, officials said.
The district began investing heavily in SMART Boards and other classroom technology several years ago, and upgraded the technology infrastructure and connectivity within its high schools.
Last school year, the district piloted iPads in limited one-to-one classrooms at Dundee-Crown, Hampshire and Jacobs. Hampshire and Dundee-Crown students continue to use iPads, and Jacobs students are testing Chromebooks this year.