District 94 students starting year with new Chromebooks

One giant step in closing the digital divide is about to occur at Community High School District 94 in West Chicago. On Aug. 4 and 5, about 2,000 students at West Chicago Community High School will receive district-owned Chromebooks prior to the start of school on Aug. 17.

At West Chicago Community High School, preparing students to be meaningful contributors and impactful leaders in society is a top priority. In the 21st century, this means teaching students to be effective and resourceful at using technology and information, as well as teaching students through a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum.

Moving to a 1-to-1 learning environment in which every student has a Chromebook to use as an engaging learning tool is a clear means for helping our students become 21st century ready. Students now have greater opportunities to direct their learning, access more information, and engage a larger community in intellectual discourse.

Learning and studying are no longer restricted by the pages in a book or the four walls of the classroom or the hours of the school day. The pervasive integration of technology into the school environment and culture at WCCHS will truly prepare students for our mission of "Learning, Living and Leading."

To gear up for this monumental change, the district has spent the past year preparing. In the summer of 2014, the entire West Chicago Community High School infrastructure was wifi-enabled. Chromebooks were deployed to our instructional staff at the end of the 2013-14 school year and training began on their use.

Teachers engaged in numerous hands-on training opportunities to learn to modify the way they deliver instruction and require assignments using Chromebooks. Carts with 30 Chromebooks were made available to give teachers real opportunities to apply their learning with students during class time.

Success in a digital classroom depends more than ever before on the talent, initiative and skills of the teacher. The role of the teacher changes from a lecturer surrounded by books to a "roaming conductor" of learning. They must move away from whole-group set learning to directing and assisting individuals and small groups, interspersed with presentations, discussions and teacher-directed activities.

In a fast-evolving digital age, teachers must stay up-to-date on software and applications as they constantly evolve and improve, and as online resources expand. They must study, practice, analyze and adapt to ensure effective use. Effective teachers take full advantage of digital resources and must customize them to engage students in the content, using multimedia elements that students respond to and also expect in this digital age.

This new learning environment and the technology that goes along with it must have support to be successful. As digital learning becomes more ingrained in our classrooms, there are more devices that now require support. The sheer number of electronic devices needing support could easily overwhelm the district's IT department.

What could have become a huge burden to the district now becomes a great resource and a great opportunity for students: the Technical Support Internship class at West Chicago Community High School.

The Technical Support Internship course will begin this fall. Students will learn hardware, software and network problem-solving, as well as valuable customer service skills as they run a help desk to support the 1-to-1 learning environment at Community High School.

Students will be the first line of customer service to assist students and staff with Chromebook repairs, troubleshooting and other technical issues. In addition, students will work independently on individualized pathways leading to industry certification in software, programming and office programs.

The yearlong elective class is open to all students, freshmen through seniors, and may be repeated yearly for credit.

The 1-to-1 technology program at West Chicago Community High School creates a learning environment in which each student is able to take greater ownership of their learning through the use of various applications, extensions and websites. Students in a 1-to-1 technology environment are able stretch their minds, explore new ideas and analyze more critically as the classroom experience is extended virtually beyond the four walls of the school.

Teaching staff are the conductors of learning and, in the process, not only increase their capacity, but also raise the floor of their expertise, becoming more knowledgeable about their subject areas to drive student interest and achievement.

Follow us on our website at d94.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/WCCHS as we continue this amazing technological journey.

• Doug Domeracki is superintendent of Community High School District 94 in West Chicago. His column appears regularly in Neighbor.