1-to-1 tech making inroads in District 94
From concept to implementation, Community High School District 94's 1-to-1 Technology Initiative has been in existence for just more than two years with the goal of increasing student achievement.
Implementation began in August with an electronic learning device - a Chromebook - given to each student at West Chicago Community High School for use during the school year. With three full months of school under our belt, many are wondering how it's going.
Infrastructure
Two summers ago, we updated the Wi-Fi infrastructure throughout the entire school, creating a consistent, strong signal throughout the building. This was the foundation work necessary to support the 1-to-1 initiative. There is a wireless access point in every classroom that can easily handle up to 40 devices at a time. Our network engineer is constantly monitoring and tweaking these devices to make sure the system stays balanced, regardless of spikes in usage.
Teacher growth in technology use
Teachers are constantly finding new and creative ways to use the technology in their classrooms. They are discovering a world of tools at their disposal and are excited by the possibilities.
Teachers use the Chromebooks and various sites, apps and management tools to increase and facilitate greater communication with students, manage classroom assignments, differentiate activities and enrich lessons.
Teachers' competency with technology has been growing steadily, each at his or her own pace, since the beginning of last year. Many teachers now are able to use technology in ways they never thought possible.
As teachers explore and become comfortable with the new technology, their online classwork becomes more proficient and engaging. Our new technology is allowing teachers to reach students in a manner that previously would not have been possible.
Student engagement
One of the primary drivers of implementing this technology was to better engage students in the learning process.
Our student population has embraced the Chromebooks, and they are learning to use them more effectively. Students are experiencing the power of having a device at their fingertips, not only in class but now at after-school activities and at home. They are expanding their application of computer usage, whether it is taking notes, collaborating with peers, or looking up questions on Google to expand knowledge.
The students have been demonstrating responsibility for the Chromebooks; very few have required repairs because of damage.
Future plans
For the future, we will continue to provide staff development in the use of various apps and integration opportunities. We plan to continue to invest in the network by purchasing "hot spares" for our wireless controller and firewall in the event that one of the devices fails. If there is a failure, the redundant device will take over without a break in the signal.
The excitement in our school is contagious and student ownership for learning is building. We look forward to the future as we continue to embrace technology and facilitate student engagement and achievement.
• Douglas Domeracki is superintendent of Community High School District 94. His column runs monthly in Neighbor during the school year.