Wallace immediately began putting computers and LCD projectors into classrooms. In 2007, he hired Dr. Henry Thiele as chief technology officer, and the pair started working on a long-term plan that included buying laptops for teachers, launching 1:1 pilots and, eventually, becoming Google’s first K-12 partner for Google Apps.
Today all 9th through 11th grade students have Chromebooks and, when next year’s freshmen get their Chromebooks, the district will be entirely 1:1. Wallace and Thiele make presentations all over the country and are courted by major publishers to help them figure out their digital curriculum strategy. With the one-to-one basics already in place, this district is witnessing authentic collaboration between students and teachers, helping teachers differentiate instruction, and watching a second generation of teacher leaders emerge.
In 2008, district leaders were trying to address the needs of students whose test scores declined instead of improving in their four years. They redesigned the curriculum for that group of students to be more thematic and blended across different subjects, and the teachers and students received Windows laptops to use in school. They used Google Apps so that students could collaborate with each other and their students, and the teachers quickly realized they needed to collaborate outside of class, so the laptops went home.
The district tried other small 1:1 pilots at the same time. “Various courses or programs were trying to meet specific needs, and teachers were gathering information about how the devices were helping or interfering,” says Thiele.
Because District 207 families have always paid for textbooks, the district was hesitant to ask for more money, especially since nearly half of the students receive free/reduced-price lunch. So Thiele came up with a plan to eliminate or replace enough print materials and resources to offset the cost of the device. The math, science, and social science departments began finding free or low-cost, open-source materials or textbook replacements, and in the past two years, 89 percent of new “textbooks” are lower cost or free digital resources. “We are not only offsetting the cost of the device; we are actually saving families hundreds of dollars each year over what they paid before 1:1,” says Thiele.
District 207 teachers have used Google Apps for Education for seven years to manage their devices and classrooms and their curricula. They chose Chromebooks because they are designed for working with Internet-based resources, are fast, and are easy to carry around. Other reasons include the low price tag, relatively stress-free maintenance, and long battery life.
A key benefit is that the Chromebooks connect with Google’s suite of applications, which are used by every student and staff member in Maine 207. The technology department can manage the device and monitor student use at school through an enterprise management console and use the console to put the device into a test mode to comply with online-based assessment tools or online state standardized tests. Last but not least, all of the work done on a Chromebook backs up to the cloud, so students rarely lose their work. And if their device stops working, they can use any other Chromebook to continue their assignments.
The teachers first received their Windows laptops in 2008—well before the students got their Chromebooks so the teachers could get comfortable using the technology. At the same time, each teacher was given a list of what he or she was expected to learn how to do: marking up documents, sharing files, and so on. They learned about strategies for classroom management in a 1:1 environment during 10 hours of PD at school and were offered a variety of extra learning opportunities, such as weeklong academies on Google Tools, conferences, and personalized help. The district still offers “Lunch & Learns” and other professional learning sessions involving the introduction of new tools or sharing cool things teachers are doing that others should know about.
For additional professional learning, District 207 teachers are in subject-based professional learning teams (PLTs) in which they share materials, assessments, and lesson designs. Their latest direction is working toward sharing video snippets of their lessons so they can learn by working with a peer instead of an advisor/evaluator. “We believe in teachers leading teachers and promote a teacher-leadership culture,” says Dr. Barbara Dill-Varga, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “If someone is doing a cool thing we find ways to cross-pollinate and spread it. We put teachers and teams of teachers in front of others to see what’s possible and get inspired.” At a recent institute day, for example, three PLTs discussed how they changed instruction and shared their results.
Neil K. Charlet is the technology manager at Maine West High School. He’s required to support all staff and students, so in 2010 he launched a Tech Genius desk in three spots around the school and recruited approximately 30 students who were interested in technology and willing to help their peers. For all nine periods throughout the day, each station was staffed by a student to answer questions from students and faculty. Charlet created a Google Form for teachers to fill out if they needed tech assistance in class, and a student from the genius team would go to the class, escorted by Charlet or another full-time technology staff member, to assist with software, video creation, or whatever the teacher needed.
As the Chromebook 1:1 initiative took off and more classes received their devices, the Tech Genius desk morphed into the Chrome Depot. There’s an actual office now, and everyone goes there for support, questions, and repairs. The original geniuses are still on board, but now there are two or three available every period, as well as a full-time staff member to supervise and handle scheduling.
Gest remembers the days of laptop carts and a handful of computers in the classroom in the science department, but prefers 1:1 for obvious reasons.
Throughout the district, teachers are orchestrating and guiding the learning, while allowing their students to reach learning targets, track their progress, and show their mastery of skills through a variety of formative assessments.
Many classrooms have gone from a teacher delivering information, with help from traditional textbooks, to learning environments in which students are using technology and real-time information to teach each other.
Maine Township High School District 207 is a diverse, high-performing district in the greater Chicago area.
There are 6,500 students and three high schools, one of which has 40% low income students and 56 different languages.
All three schools have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in the National Secondary School Recognition Program. Among the leaders in Advanced Placement testing, District 207 students also earn recognition in the National Merit and Illinois State scholar competitions.
All 4,800 9th-11th grade students currently have either a Samsung or a Dell Chromebook 11 (the newest purchases have all been Dell Chromebook 11 models) and by 2015-2016 all 6,500 students will have Chromebooks.