In the fall of 2009, Van Meter Community School in Iowa adopted a one-to-one laptop initiative in grades 6-12 and a strong technology focus throughout the district. Since that time, an atmosphere of respect, creativity, collaboration, and connection as well as independent thinking and learning has prevailed at the school. Today, Van Meter has…

In a November 7, 2007, "New York Times" article "New Class (room) War: Teacher vs. Technology," author Michael Bugeja noted that "the baby boomers seem to see technology as information and communication. Their offspring and the emerging generation seem to see the same devices as entertainment and socializing." This became abundantly clear to Nueva…

What can Mali, an impoverished, land-locked West African nation, teach educators about mobile technology? Little to nothing, one might think. Yet in Mali, as in much of sub-Saharan Africa, teachers and students are increasingly using mobile technologies for learning and teaching. While educators in the United States have debated whether, why, and…

A defined collaboration, such as a Professional Learning Community (PLC), can help expand a one-to-one program. In this article, the authors discuss four factors to consider in starting a collaborative approach at one's school: (1) school climate; (2) communication; (3) collaboration; and (4) progression of use.

By all accounts, the Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) is a special school. It was the first public charter high school in Denver to become a one-to-one laptop school, thanks to a $1 million gift from Hewlett-Packard. Even though the school accepts applicants via a lottery system and its charter requires that 40% of its students come…

A recent survey of 74 building-level school administrators in Indiana challenged many of the assumptions regarding 1:1 laptop initiatives and how 1:1 access would affect teaching and learning. It also revealed disturbing realities regarding instructional practices of teachers, as well as efforts to improve school technology integration. The intent…

In March 2000, Maine Governor Angus King surprised the rest of the United States when he announced that he wanted to provide every seventh grader in Maine with a portable wireless computing device. An unexpected state budget surplus had given him the opportunity to do something radical to improve education and the economy of Maine. King recognized…

New technologies often assume the form of prior traditions during their infancy. For example, filmed plays known as photoplays were initially produced prior to the development of modern cinema conventions. Similarly, printed books at first assumed many of the characteristics of hand-lettered manuscripts.