Indiana District Couples 1-to-1 Chromebooks with Online Learning
A Race to the Top-D grant recipient in suburban Indianapolis is going fully 1-to-1 with Chromebooks, partnering with an online learning provider to update its curriculum ahead of the rollout.
Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, which received $28 million in RttT funds in 2012 to support virtual learning and other initiatives, is pairing its Chromebook program with a digital curriculum that puts an emphasis on proving alternative learning and course delivery options -- an important part of its RttT proposal.
Using courses and curriculum from Apex Learning, the district will offer online courses for both original credit and credit recovery programs as well as targeted tutorials to help students improve specific skills. The original credit classes are mainly electives not traditionally offered face-to-face.
The district hopes the digital option will help motivate students who might otherwise not complete graduation requirements. As part of the 1-to-1 initiative, students will be able to complete assignments for courses both on and off campus using their devices.
"We wanted to find a digital curriculum that allows our teachers to do more than they could without technology. Our goal is to implement a curriculum that provides students with new methods of exploring, testing, and applying their knowledge in a format that excites and motivates them," said John Keller, the district’s director of eLearning, in a statement.
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Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.