The lap of learning: Henrico County's districtwide use of wireless technology may alter the instructional landscape

School Administrator, April, 2003 by Mark A. Edwards

"You can go ahead and make an announcement by 7 p.m. this evening to close school tomorrow," a 7th grader spontaneously announced as I was visiting classes at one of our middle schools. Several other students joined in. One said, "We've been tracking the snowstorm on our laptops and developing operating charts analyzing its rate of speed and potential accumulation and we just know it will hit hard by 7."

On my way out, Anne Poates, principal of Byrd Middle School, indicated that the students' enthusiasm toward their applied learning was becoming the norm. "The students are certainly energized by the snowstorm and they are equally energized by being able to use laptops for their science and math classes." Nancy Smith, a science teacher at Byrd, remarked as we were in the hall, "I just cannot imagine going back to studying weather by looking at pictures in books when we have the advantage of real-time technology to teach our students."

A few days later while leading a tour through Deep Run High School, some visiting educators from California commented how impressed they were with the students' use of laptops. One visitor, Father Michael Brennan, remarked, "We just visited 10 classrooms and the students never looked up or paid any attention to us; they were totally engrossed in their learning and all using the laptops."

There is no doubt about it: Our deployment of 25,000 iBook laptop computers in our 6th through 12th-grade classrooms is truly revolutionizing how we teach and how students learn in Henrico County, Va.

Four-Year Lease

When we first analyzed the possibility of moving to a one-to-one technology program in our school system, we looked at the financial, instructional and political challenges we would face. Our school board, PTA presidents, school principals and focus groups of students and teachers encouraged us to move forward.

The decision to do so was based on three principal goals:

* To improve teaching, learning and student achievement;

* To improve our methodology by using an engaged instructional practice;

* To address a significant digital divide in our school system. Out of 43,000 students, approximately 40 percent did not have access to technology at home.

After lengthy negotiations with Apple Computer, we developed a partnership plan that would enable us to put a laptop into the hands of every Henrico County middle school and high school student as well as their teachers. The plan included a four-year lease program that enabled us to establish a strong foundation as well as a replacement cycle for technology. We were able to achieve this within our local operating budget by dedicating 5 percent of that budget for technology. Of note, Henrico County operates with approximately $500 less than the state average on annual per-pupil expenditure.

The entire laptop deployment is a wireless program that provides greater portability and mobility of computer use. One of the most significant benefits of the wireless system is not having to wire every computer in every classroom. Students can hook up to phone or cable modems at home.

Proper Planning

Planning for such a change takes place on two levels. School administrators had to first put in place a system of sheer logistics. Secure storing locations to receive the shipment of lap tops had to be identified. A system of distribution, complete with an initial training session for small groups of students and parents, had to be designed. Scanning barcodes for accurate inventory, collecting insurance payments and forms, organizing a help desk to troubleshoot and answer questions, and collecting commitment statements for proper use and care were all part of a plan that brought order in the many logistical aspects of putting the new tools in students' hands.

Teachers had to plan how to integrate the use of laptops into lessons that focused on student-centered problem solving, research and collaborative project-based activities. Teachers and administrators understood the change process and knew they could not bulldoze change. Careful attention was given to stakeholders' emotional intelligence in the planning process. Continuous training, coaching and support were as much a part of the first-year planning as high expectations for laptop use.

As the year progressed, teachers and students learned together and confidence grew each day. As one teacher remarked, "We knew it was OK to try something and fail. The important thing was to keep trying and to move forward. We knew this teaching shift was going to take time and our principal was supportive. He knew exactly how to lift and push us at the same time." Planning is ongoing and knowledge sharing is a core value as principals, teachers and students collaborate and learn together.

Training and Support

The learning curve associated with the initiative was huge for students and particularly so for adults. This is not to say that instructional technology was new to Henrico. On the contrary, the district already provided desktop computers in classrooms that were connected to the Internet through previous technology initiatives. What was new was the one-to-one, wireless, simultaneous access for all teachers and students.