1:1 Program: Future Trend in Schools

By Stacy Laue, High School English

The education world as teachers know it has become an ever-changing kaleidoscope

filled with politics, technology, parental-involvement, standardized tests, criticism, and
philosophies. The one idea that is consistent amongst it all is that there will always be change,
but as I have found since the beginning of my teaching career, there is a major hesitancy where
educators are concerned about making huge changes. When I look into discussions I have had
with teachers around the world and my school, I cant see the majority of teachers transitioning
fully to game-based learning or even virtual classrooms. Where I can see our future schools
heading in the next five years is toward fully integrated 1:1 Program where every student has a
technology device in every school in the U.S. Our students understand the importance of
technology in their classroom as Reidel (2014) found in his survey of the most important
technology used, Fifty-six percent of students said laptops were most important; 51 percent
chose digital readers; and 48 percent selected tablets. Technology is essential to the learning of
students and producing career ready graduates. Students find they need to have technology and
want to use it, but the fact remains that while many students want to use it, there are still some
that do not have complete access at home to do so. This is where a 1:1 program becomes
essential to the learning environment of all students and the U.S. has slowly been working on this
over the course of the past several years.
One of the first major advantages students would have to a 1:1 program would be the
constant and consistent access students would have to the technology. This would include what
they use at school and potentially at home. Whether schools use tablets, Ipads, chromebooks, or a

combination of devices, a 1:1 program allows a student direct access to a device. There is no
need to share, wait for their day to use the device, or have to constantly log-in and log out every
time on a device. I know those are some of the most frustrating items for my students right now.
We are close to having 1:1 at my school, but we are not there yet. I have students who want to be
able to do their homework at home, but they either dont have a computer to do it or the proper
technology needed to complete the assignment from home. A few of my students have said
before that they had to go to another friends house or their grandmas house to type an essay or
email an assignment. With the 1:1 program, my students will have the technology device needed
that can travel with them in school throughout the day and can be taken home to complete
assignments. While I know there are larger schools around the state that are already 1:1, many of
the smaller schools or schools with smaller IT funds are only now beginning to reach the point of
1:1. It is my thoughts that within the next five years most schools in the U.S. will be 1:1.
A second advantage to students having access to a 1:1 program at school is the constant
communication and collaboration the device will give them. For example, a school system in
Coventry, Rhode Island moved all of their schools to a 1:1 program with Chromebooks last year.
Supt. Karen Tarasevich stated, Students are journaling, sharing with each other and commenting
on each others work. Homework is done online. I can be at home working on an essay and you,
the teacher, can see it in real time (Borg, 2014). Chromebooks makes it easy to share documents
with students and for them to share it with teachers. Group work can be done on a shared
document just as easily as a shared presentation. The possibilities of students collaborating with
each other, when they have their own device in the classroom, are endless. This also benefits the
teacher because he/she can offer advice as students are working, can check on progress, and can
also answer questions students might leave behind. I know I have a few students who will leave

questions in the columns of their google doc for me to look at during the evening so they can
continue their work once I have responded at home or when they have the time. The Rhode
Island school district initially started the 1:1 program slowly over four years. The final decision
to implement 1:1 to the entire district came from the success of the trials and the Supt. stated,
When we think of 21st century learning its about creativity. Its about communication. Its about
collaboration (Borg, 2014). The solution to achieve their desire for their students to be versed in
21st century learning came in the form of 1:1. It addressed and met the needs of allowing students
to communicate and collaborate through a device of their own.
The final advantage 1:1 is the safety it provides for students and parents compared to
BYOD. To illustrate, having 1:1 with devices means students all have access to the same
resources and apps. If students were to BYOD, there are sometimes many issues involved with
the device trying to connect to the internet and the device having the same programs as what are
required in the class. School provided devices also have proper safety protocols and firewalls in
place, whereas BYOD may not. Many times parents also question how the school will keep their
students privacy intact and protect their children from cyberbullying. With BYOD, there are
many more security failures and opportunities for misuse of the device. School provided devices
allow schools to crack down on the misuse of a device. The Rhode Island school district held
many informational meetings about the devices and how they were to be used. They even said in
on their website and news conferences that, These devices in West Warwick are closely
monitored by teachers and administrators and any activity done on these devices can be tracked
by teachers (Steimle, 2014). One thing families continue to question in todays society is that of
their childrens safety at school. 1:1 provides that over other such models.

In conclusion, my vision of the future in five years is one where every student in America
is participating in a 1:1 program at their school. These devices not only provide the opportunity
to work on a device at school or home, but also allow students the chance to collaborate and
communicate with each other. The 1:1 program also better protects and provides safety for
students and their parents in an online world that can be dangerous and terrifying. Students may
like to play games to learn or study online, but they are not yet disciplined enough to fully guide
themselves through the process or to stay engaged during the entire lesson. There are many of
these new technology trends which teachers want to try out, but the trends may eventually stay
with only a few who have made it work with their students and in their school environment.
Most teachers I know are still very against dramatic change, but the one trend that has been
consistent and continued to grow in the past years is that of the 1:1 program. It was just
beginning to take off when I came into the education program about seven years ago and is still
being discussed, used, and implemented around the U.S. This is why I see the 1:1 program as the
continuing to grow and influence schools in the next five years. I have no doubt that most
schools will eventually be 1:1 by 2020.

References

Borg, L. (2014, September 8). R.I. schools move away from pencils, paper, books, and into the
cloud. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from http://www.providencejournal.com/breakingnews/content/20140908-r.i.-schools-move-away-from-pencils-paper-books--and-into-thecloud.ece
Riedel, C. (2014, February 3). 10 Major Technology Trends in Education. Retrieved November
22, 2015, from https://thejournal.com/articles/2014/02/03/10-major-technology-trends-ineducation.aspx
Steimle, S. (2014, September 2). Back to School: Schools give tablets to each student. Retrieved
November 22, 2015, from http://turnto10.com/archive/back-to-school-some-schoolsgive-tablets-to-each-student