Open+Letter

//"Transforming Education Bit By Bit" //
 * Middle School One to One Computer News **

It is an exciting time in the Southwest Allen County Middle Schools. Teachers and students are immersed in a process of preparing for a learning experience that will be powerful and engaging! By now you have probably learned about the new “//1 to 1 Middle School Computer Initiative//”. The middle schools in Southwest have long been a leader in the area and Indiana at integrating technology into the curricular day. This history of success has also been accompanied by systematic problems that often obstructed the very goal of technology integration. The practices of walking students to labs, checking out computer from mobile carts, not having access to enough computers will no longer be an obstacle in the pursuit of real 21st Century learning. The 2011-12 school years was a fiscal period designated for middle school replacement of its aging computer inventory. This window of time created the unique and powerful opportunity of initiating a “//1 to 1 Middle School Computer Initiative//” for our middle school students. With it now a reality, no longer will students chase computers, instead every student will have access to this transformative technology any time during the school day. Students having access to technology in this manner promotes an educational learning community that will prepare today’s children for their exciting yet competitive future. The “//1 to 1 Middle School Computer Initiative//” will facilitate a classroom culture that promotes:  The implementation of this exciting initiative will also promote student responsibility. Students are expected to provide proper care of their laptop. Students will have access to their laptop during school hours and must practice responsible ownership for the laptop they have been issued. This is highlighted in the “//Guidelines & General Responsibility for One to One Laptop//” (attached), which has been explained and made available to each student. Students will only be held responsible for intentional misuse of the laptop. This past practice has involved all school property and is stated in the Student Visa. Normal wear and tear is expected and any unintended accident or malfunction will not be the responsibility of the student. Students should report such an occurrenceto a teacher promptly. Proper digital citizenship has also been, and will continue to be an emphasis of instruction. Students have been informed of the “SACS Acceptable Use Policy” and a copy is also available in every Student Visa. Upon distribution of laptops every student has signed their acknowledgement of both documents as stated below.
 * **Engagement **: Using technology allows students to be at the center of their educational experience. They become active participants in the learning process. One-to-one technology allows students access to information when needed and also allows students to remix and create in support of innovation. Real learning comes alive and relevant, supporting rigor based on content standards and 21st Century Skills.
 * **Empowerment **: In a one-to one classroom students are transformed from passive recipients of the teacher's knowledge to active participants. They become knowledge-seekers and even more important, they learn to be knowledge-builders.
 * **Information: ** Today’s internet provides access to an awesome range of information. In a one-to-one classroom, students not only learn to find information, but also to evaluate and select appropriate information for each task. They learn to become effective digital citizens as they practice proper use, behavior, and etiquette while learning to be contributors to a worldwide society of learners.
 * **Transparency: ** A one-to-one classroom allows students’ use of technology to be ambiguous and transparent. This integration with knowledge, content standards, and 21st century skills is seamless and provides the potential for anytime/anywhere learning. Just as a pencil and paper was a tool of the 19th and 20th century, technology should be a similar tool for the 21st century school.
 * **Collaboration **: Technology in a one-to-one classroom allows students the opportunity to collaborate and work as teams in person and virtually. The walls of the classroom disappear as opportunities to connect to the real and relevant community become a reality. It allows for real time feedback from the teachers and demonstrates how learning can occur online in both a synchronous and asynchronous environment.
 * **Preparation: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Students must be ready to embrace their future. Whether it be further education, lifelong learning, occupations, or adaptability technology will play a role. Students in a one-to-one classroom learn the technology skills to integrate and assimilate into a world that will require an aptitude based on understanding and learning tools to communicate, create, collaborate, investigate, and innovate.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Transformation: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Technology allows students and teacher in a one-to-one classroom to see a new paradigm in the education process. The curriculum arena is now open to multiple resources allowing for differentiation, multiple modalities, authentic assessment, scaffolding, and experiential learning. Students are immersed in a hybrid experience as the textbook and lecture moves from the center to what is a still important peripheral. In this new circle, technology joins lecture and textbooks with multimedia, digital information, communication beyond the classroom, simulations, real world application, problem solving resources, and online learning experiences.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;"> As you can see… these are exciting times in Southwest Allen County Middle Schools. Through this “1 to 1 Computer Initiative” the Southwest Allen County Schools will continue to be a leader in the area, state, and nation at preparing students for future education and vocation in the 21st century. Just as the pencil, pen, and paper were necessary tools of the past… technology will be a necessary and essential tools for our children’s future. It has been stated that “//technology should be like air. Ubiquitous, everywhere, invisible//”. It is this very idea integrated in our classroom that will allow our students to build a strong foundation on content standards while gaining the necessary skills to be an outstanding 21st century citizens. It is the “//1 to 1 Middle School Computer Initiative”// that will assist this goal to become a reality for our children. Thank you for your support and continued contribution.


 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Your Southwest Allen County School Administration, Teachers, and Support Staff **

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