How Do We Go 1 to 1?
Posted by ejallen on May 5, 2009
With the advent of netbooks, the possibility of a 1 to 1 school has become considerably more economically feasible. Looking at my own school, a large high school, I remember how we looked at a 1 to 1 laptop program in the mid 1990’s. The program didn’t get off the ground due to the cost of laptops at the time and a lack of evidence as to how they could be used in school to increase achievement.
Well now here we are, focused on learning. And the infinite array of online tools, such as Google Docs, You Tube, wikis, blogs, moodle, animoto, slideshare, and ning to name a few, combined with the ability to co-create and connect globally makes 1 to 1 make so much sense. And now netbooks are here.
Netbooks are smaller, lighter, and affordable. If we had netbooks and could eliminate the need for calculators and consumable books such as workbooks, the cost per family might even be less!
So I am looking for schools that have gone 1 to 1. If you have, here are some questions:
- When did you start?
- Did you start with the entire school or with a pilot group?
- Do the parents buy the computers through the school or on their own?
- What infrastructural changes did you have to implement?
- Anyone doing this with netbooks yet?
Thanks for any comments. I could ask a ton more questions!
May 5th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Knox Grammar – Mike Israel
Knox began it’s 1 to 1 laptop program in the late 1990’s. The program has been through many evolutions, but has mainly focussed on students from Y5 up having 1 to 1 access to a notebook/tablet.
Purchasing works best when the school buys and then provides the laptop to the student. Why?
- School has greater purchasing power
- Consistent platform: it is very important for teachers to be able to rely on the students all having access to the same platform in the classroom
- in-house hardware and software support: onsite technical staff can process warranty/insurance claims and re-image machine to SOE
- less “security” issues: machine can be locked down to prevent installation of dodgy programs, AV is always up to date, machine is connected to domain etc.
Infrastructure: The school operates a wireless network across the entire campus. Floor boxes for AC power have been installed in every classroom. Data projectors installed in every classroom.
We are continuing with the full laptop model, yes it is expensive but enables every student to create complex content. We are keeping a close eye on developments in the netbook market.
This is a very brief synopsis of our experience. If you have any other questions please ask them here.
Cheers
Mike
[Reply]
ejallen Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Thanks Mike for the reply. It is good to hear from someone with your experience with a 1 to 1 program. Do your students purchase their laptops from the school or does the school retain ownership?
[Reply]
Mike Reply:
May 5th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Hi Ejallen
For Y5 – 9, the school retains ownership. The school leases these machines over 3 years (same duration as warranty, very important!) then hands them back, which eliminates the question of what to do with the machines when the warranty expires.
Y10 – 12, the parents can purchase outright or lease over 3 yr with a $1 residual (no rentals, it is a nightmare getting the machines back of the students and ensuring they are in an accetable condiditon)
Cheers
Mike
[Reply]
May 6th, 2009 at 7:08 am
At Orange Grove Primary School (www.ogps.wa.edu.au) we have been running a 1:1 program for Years 4 – 7 for 18 months now. We didn’t really start with a pilot group — our school is so small that there are only 60 students in Years 4 – 7.
We are using Apple MacBooks — Netbooks have a lot of pluses but for anything really creative, you need a little more grunt. The MacBooks are awesome. Parents purchase outright or lease through a finance company. We investigated master lease options but these were not permissible under the policies of the State education Department.
I have written a bit more about our program on my blog at http://www.paulfuller.com.au/EducatingTheDigitalGeneration/Blog/Entries/2008/4/2_The_Power_of_1%3A1.html
[Reply]
ejallen Reply:
May 6th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Paul, thanks for the reply. I will definitely check out your blog. One of our teachers a a huge mac fan, so I am sure he would lean your way.
[Reply]