Eastern Iowa schools embrace initiatives to provide laptop for every student

When last week's snowfall delayed the start of classes for several Eastern Iowa schools, Brittni Reid didn't turn to TV or radio to see if Lisbon schools would start late.

She turned to Twitter.

Twitter wasn't the reason Lisbon school board members voted for the 1:1 computer initiative, but it's an added benefit of giving every sixth- through 12th-grade student a laptop computer - one of many that district administrators cite midway through the first year with the program.

Lisbon is one of 44 school districts in Iowa participating in a 1:1 computer initiative. The program promotes a technology-based education, giving students instant access to information beyond the classroom.

“It is a shift from our teachers being the ‘sage on the stage' to being more of a facilitator and guide for exploration,” said Karl Kurt, superintendent of the Central City school district.

Central City launched its 1:1 initiative in August 2008. At the time, it was touted as erasing the lines between the haves and the have-nots.

“I've seen kids who normally wouldn't be seen as academic standouts produce some great things this year,” said Brad Laures, superintendent of the Lisbon school district. “Kids who normally wouldn't be ‘academic standouts' have the chance to shine and show what they can do.”

Book reports have been replaced by podcasts. Speeches are presented digitally with music and graphics. Classroom discussions are supported by video clips on YouTube.

“It's made school more interesting,” said Seth Hill, 14, a Lisbon Middle School eighth-grader.

“We're not just reading books all the time,” said Brittney Dixon, 16, a junior at Lisbon High School.

That, educators said, is the point. Today's generation of students are comfortable with technology. It's how they learn, how they play, how they live. Bringing that to school provides a relevancy that wasn't there before.

“It's our job, as a school, to provide meaningful experiences,” said Ian Dye, Lisbon High School's principal.

Reid. 17, said her mother questioned the laptops - at first.

“She didn't understand how we were going to incorporate them into our learning, but now that she's seen the projects I'm able to do with my friends, she agrees we need them,” the Lisbon junior said.

A laptop stays with the student except summer breaks - when it's debugged and software is upgraded - and then is returned to the school when the student graduates or leaves the school.

Of course, just giving students a laptop doesn't automatically translate into learning.

“It has to be about more than just having a computer,” Laures said, “It has to change the way people teach because it changes the way people learn.”

Central City and Lisbon entered four-year lease agreements with Apple to bring 1:1 to the students. Central City pays $550,000 over four years. Lisbon board members approved a lease agreement that won't exceed $145,000 a year, or $580,000 total. Both districts used local-option sales tax to fund the program.

Although the initiative gives every student a laptop, it doesn't provide 24-hour access. Some students have limited Internet connectivity, depending on options at home.

Plagiarism, trustworthy information, cyber bullying also are issues districts with 1:1 programs have to address. Policies define how the computer can and can't be used. Students and their parents sign usage agreements before being given a laptop.

Policies are enforced through software on the laptops. It blocks access to websites deemed inappropriate and allows school employees to see what is on multiple student screens at any time. The software also allows the school to message students or to lockdown a laptop at any time.

“The computer brings a world of information to their fingertips, and at times I wish they were more focused on the attainment of knowledge and skills rather than the social stuff,” Central City Superintendent Kurt said. “But in all fairness, my mother probably would have said the same thing when I was growing up years ago.”