Rohan Rajagopalan ’14, Michael Quinlan ’14
Next fall, Episcopal fifth grade students will be participating in a one-to-one program which will give each student his or her own laptop. In addition, there are currently discussions about expanding these programs through the Middle and Upper Schools.
Under the current plan, next fall, each fifth grader will be given a MacBook Air in the beginning of the 2012-2013 school years. There is discussion about whether or not Episcopal will replace these laptops when the students enter ninth grade.
Dr. Catherine Hall, Academic Dean at Episcopal and former Director of Technology, said “the school chose fifth grade because it felt the grade represents a smaller size than other grade levels and there will be fewer teachers involved.” However, the technology department and administration will measure the success of the program and consider possible expansion into the Middle and Upper Schools the following year.
As the one-to-one program begins to expand throughout the Episcopal community, faculty members anticipate changes to the current curriculum. “There will be a learning curve for everyone as we find the best ways to weave this into our program … The school plans to educate teachers and students as to best incorporate the new technology into the existing curriculum and with acceptance of the one-to-one program, it will offer meaningful improvements to how and what we teach and learn,” said Hall.
Linda Smith, Director of Libraries, believes eventually even physical textbooks will be accessed on a computer using programs such as OverDrive. However, Smith said she “sees the library as remaining a supplement to the learning environment at EA even with the advent of the one-to-one program and bookless education.”
While the school looked at a variety of laptops, such as Google’s Chromebook, the Technology department ultimately decided to use the Macbook Air. Alex Pearson, Associate Director of the Technology Department, said, “One of the main factors for choosing Macs was the ‘instant on’ feature… when the teacher says close, you can do it without a problem.” In addition, “(We) felt that a significant percentage of our students are using Macs at home and … Apple is a great partner in education,” said Hall.
Pearson believes that in the future, as the program develops and the current school computers become outdated, students’ Macbook Airs will replace the laptop carts and eventually the desktops in the computer labs. “Ultimately, I envision the labs as becoming a space where students can charge, use, and dock their computers freely,” said Pearson.
Although many students already own personal laptops, the school will encourage students to use school-issued laptops rather than their personal computers. Pearson said, “While the laptops will ultimately be controlled by EA, I hope students will treat them as their own, even storing their personal media on their machines.”