{Andy Marx}
A Middle School One-to-One Laptop Program:

The Maine Experience

      From 2000-2005, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, provided 7th and 8th grade students and their teachers with laptops, creating a true 1 to 1 environment for learning.  Teaching at Oak Hills, where we are always ahead of the technology curve, we can empathize with some of the struggles and the successes of the implementation of a more student centered, technologically advanced classroom.
      The findings were quite obvious in student performance- student writing improved, classes become more student centered, science and math scores improved (although math was not as affected as the other classes).  Findings also concluded that teachers were very much on board with the program, although there were "laggards" who were a bit resistant to the program.  MLTI was able to fund support- tech leaders, peer leaders for example who were able to provide aid and comfort to those who struggled.
      The struggles still include assessment and differentiation, but the traditionalist vs. constructivist approaches played a major role in support for the MLTI program.  Teachers who were more willing to be facilitators, saw greatest amount of success. Whether it is age, technology competence, and philosophy, the proof is in the results- it does work.  Teachers and students agreed that the students became "better learners."
       So let's start asking questions...  what about the cost with a dearth of funding for schools?  What can we do to encourage our more experienced, traditional teachers to embrace the movement to a BYOD classroom where we can have 1-1 setting?  We know that instruction, creating an environment that facilitates e-learning, pedagogical skill set and deepening content knowledge, will help change the culture, but the question I have to many of you- is what obstacles are we facing in our unique situation?  How can we change the culture, while being sympathetic towards our traditionalists, and pushing our constructivists to the cutting edge?