Immersion - Programs Successes

AL –ALEX. Since January 2007, on a monthly basis, over 1 million teachers, students, school leaders, and parents from Alabama and around the world access ALEX’s fun, engaging interactive activities – doubling previous usage rates.   To date, over 38,000 state Course of Study alignments are present on ALEX. Thinkfinity and Alabama teacher-developed resources are linked with each Course of Study standard. Training in the use of ALEX and the Thinkfinity resources and the creation of teacher web pages is provided free to all districts through the Technology in Motion trainers. One trainer is provided through each of the eleven Inservice Centers.

IN – Tech-Know-Build – Improvement in teacher-student relations, increased involvement from parents and community members, and increased teacher engagement and enthusiasm

ME – Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). Students reported using laptops most often in finding information (90%). Students who take laptops home complete class work more often. Eighty percent of teachers surveyed reported that student engagement increased. More than 70% of student surveyed reported that they could their work done with better quality (Lane and Silvernail 2004).

MI _ Freedom to Learn. FTL students engage in more project based learning and peer discussion, and use technology as a tool for learning. FTL enables greater access for all students to educational opportunities statewide. FTL empowers parents through the use of technology tools to become more involved in their child’s education. FTL creates an educational environment that effectively integrates technology, curriculum, and instruction.

NH – Technology Promoting Student Excellence (TPSE). ). New Hampshire’s 1 to 1 Laptop Program implemented in 2004, reports increased student engagement and motivation. Teacher survey data reports dramatic improvements in students’ engagement levels - 91% improvement for traditional students and 97% improvement for at risk/low achieving students. Teacher survey data reports increased student motivation – 94% for traditional students and 81% for at risk/low achieving students. Teacher survey data reports that students ability to work independently has increased 72% for traditional and at risk students. Additional benefits include increased teacher and student use of technology and improvements in student achievement

NH – Mobile Laptop Deployment. The Mobile Laptop Cart Deployment program offers increased, flexible access to computer-based activities to students in the classroom. With an average class size of 15 students, one cart allows for whole class activities. Certain courses are now offered on a regular basis, such as CAD, Audio Engineering and Student Year Book design, in addition to those regularly offered by the IT Department in its own lab.

NH – Media Cart Deployment. Humanities, Social Studies, Science and Technical instruction are benefiting from the use of these carts. In Humanities, Social Studies, and History, the media carts are used to show curriculum based movies and video segments, along with the use of web-based material and activities projected on a large screen with excellent image and sound quality, and presentation of student digital projects produced individually and collaboratively.   Some typical feedback from faculty includes: “The media cart is used daily. I've become dependent on it for things such as project web sites, daily assignments, and opening acts. Students use it to display/present their work. Here’s one example of how I use the cart. Last week, as an introduction to a unit on Africa, I projected a YouTube video of satellite images of the earth, about 50% of which were on Africa or parts of Africa. I was able to teach some geography and get students excited and grounded for the unit on Africa. Students loved the images and could clearly compare electrical use from night photos between North America and Africa.”

TX – TIP creates an environment where technology becomes a partner to teaching and learning. Technology immersion allows each student direct, ongoing access to teaching both within and beyond the walls of the classroom and allows each teacher the opportunity to address individual student needs. In addition, technology immersion gives all students access to educational resources along with increased educational opportunities. The idea of immersing a campus in technology is based on research about the effectiveness of educational technology. By putting together all of the resources necessary to effectively introduce and use technology in the teaching and learning process and implementing them as a package, schools can harness the true power of technology to expand and extend learning.

VA – Henrico County Public Schools Technology and Learning Initiative. Based upon interviews, teachers and students reported that the laptop initiative had the following positive impacts on teaching and learning (McGhee and Zucker 2005):

• Greater access to resources and information
• Increased student motivation, engagement, and interest
• Increased professional productivity
• Improved home-school communication

Additional immersion success stories,

Visit the Apple Education, 1 to 1 Learning, Impacts and Results website at http://www.apple.com/education/k12/onetoone/research.html