9
felt it was important to have a device that
had a keyboard, a day-long battery life,
and a large enough screen to view full
pages without scrolling from side to
side,” Robertson said. “We ultimately
chose to go with MacBooks that come
preloaded with creativity software and
are virtually virus free.”
The laptops are filtered 24-hours a
day, whether they are connected to the
district’s network or not. They can also
be monitored remotely when connected
to the district network.
A bring-your-own-device (BYOD)
environment was not considered, as the
curriculum would not function on all
devices. Additionally, there was no
interest in requiring teachers to deliver
instruction across multiple platforms –
not to mention the potential stigma for
children whose families don’t own a
device.
Parents and students are required to
attend a training session each year in
order for the student to be eligible to
receive a laptop. A “contract” is signed
that outlines general rules and guidance
for care and use of the devices. The
former book rent fee is now a laptop fee
and is used to help defray the cost of a
four-year lease used to acquire the
laptops. Students keep the same
machine from year to year, and are
responsible for any damage costs.
Damage in the first two years has been
limited to a handful of cracked screens
and power cord chargers.
The cost of implementation the first
year totaled nearly $100,000 and was
financed with a combination of
donations, budget reallocation and new
money in the budget.
“The question was not so much how
were we going to be able to afford it, but
how could we not afford to do this for our
students,”
Robertson
said,
acknowledging
support
of
the
Community Unit School District 4 school
board and of the community.
(Continued from page 8)
1:1 Program ———–———-—
Mendon student hits reset
button for success in school
Cordero Sierens remembers being
surprised when one of his teachers
asked him to address the school board
regarding the new 1:1 program at Unity
High School in Mendon near the end of
his sophomore year. Diane Robertson,
superintendent of Community Unit
School District 4, also was surprised at
the selection.
“I remember Cordero telling the board
‘If I look familiar, it’s because I was
here a year ago and you were deciding
whether to let me stay in school,’ “ said Robertson, recalling
how Sierens then showed the board a very challenging list of
English and math classes -- all of which he was passing.
Count Sierens as a big advocate for the 1:1 program that
provided him a laptop as a learning tool. The junior is a prime
example of how a student can reinvent himself if the proper
human buttons are pushed.
“I didn’t like coming to school; it was too difficult. I was
always a kid who made bad decisions,” Sierens said. “This
program has really helped me. Before the 1:1 program I was
a kid who never wanted to do the work.”
Sierens said he had no problems using the computer,
probably thanks to lots of hours spent playing computer
games before the new learning program was introduced at
Unity High last year.
“This makes school a lot easier for me. The computer
has programs that give us chances to solve a problem and if
I don’t understand, the computer has programs that can help
me find out how to do something,” he said. “I don’t have to
raise my hand and ask for help because the help is right
there in the computer. I don’t have to wait for a teacher”
An added benefit is the computer makes it much harder
for the dog to eat the homework and much easier to stay
organized.
“There are about 15 million different things teachers want
from you and I’m also a person who loses things. This makes
my work virtually ‘unlosable.’ It helps to always know where
my work is, “ Sierens said
So Sierens has made a turnaround that hasn’t gone
unnoticed by his teachers and school administrators. His
arrow is now pointing up, and college is not out of the
question for a student that otherwise might not have finished
high school. But he prefers to take things one step at a time.
“I hope to go to college, but I have to graduate high
school first,” Sierens said. “I enjoy coming to school now.”
Cordero Sierens
