Michigan District Successful in First Year of 1-to-1 Program

Nearly two years after voters in the Grand Haven (MI) Area Public Schools approved a $19-million bond issue to enhance the use of technology for its 6,200 K-12 students, every student in kindergarten through fourth grade has an iPad and every student in grade 5-12 has a Chromebook.

Even though the bond issue was approved in May 2014, District Technology Director Doug Start said the district took the entire 2014-15 school year to plan, prepare and test devices so that teachers would be ready when school started the first full year of a new 1-to-1 program last fall.

"That was critical in ensuring the devices were successfully implemented," Start said in a report in the Grand Haven Tribune. "This preparation reduced anxiety. While not everyone is at the same level, we can say that technology is being used daily where appropriate and effective for each student."

For instance, said White Pines Intermediate School sixth-grade teacher Gary Knight, it's made his job more efficient and less time-consuming. Now, rather than photocopying lessons in advance, he sends students the information they need electronically in a matter of seconds.

His extended learning class students are working together on a digital project to help a local United States Coast Guard unit recruit new crew members in the area.

"It's fun and easy to work with," said sixth-grader Tucker Kooi of his Chromebook.

Nate Mihalek, a seventh-grade teacher at Lakeshore Middle School, said it's opened up new options for students who crave different ways of learning. In his science classes, he gives his students different options to prepare assignments. In some cases, it may be writing a traditional paper, but it could also be making a video or choosing other mediums that interest them.

"It empowers them to go out and seek the information themselves and be a digester of information," Mihalek said.

About the Author

Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.

Featured

  • Slooh Earth Science Quests

    New Slooh Earth Science Curriculum Features Live Orbital Satellite Feeds

    Robotic telescope platform and astronomy education provider Slooh has launched a new NGSS-aligned Earth Science curriculum for grades 5-9 designed for Earth science and career and technical education IT courses.

  • computer monitor with glowing digital data and graphs bursting out in an abstract, energetic explosion of lines and elements against a dark background

    New OpenAI Agent Turns ChatGPT into a Research Analyst

    OpenAI has unveiled a new "Deep Research" feature that enhances ChatGPT with the capabilities of a "research analyst" that automates time-consuming research by retrieving, analyzing, and synthesizing online information.

  • A young person sitting on a couch in a bright living room during the daytime, holding a tablet, with sunlight streaming through large windows and pastel-toned furniture.

    Balancing Screen Time and Student Wellness

    Student mental health is in crisis, and excessive screen time is a significant factor. Here are four ways to help students find and maintain a healthy balance with technology.

  • zSpace Imagine Learning Solution

    zSpace Debuts Headset-Free AR/VR System

    Immersive learning company zSpace has announced the zSpace Imagine Learning Solution, a headset-free AR/VR laptop system designed for elementary education. The all-in-one platform integrates hardware, software, and hands-on lessons to create dynamic learning experiences for young students.