Our experiences as educators and learners, along with available evaluative research reports, help us respond to the simplistic request found in the Question and Answer section of this newsletter:  "Tell me in one or two sentences why foundation members know that one-to-one learning is a must."  This is a simple request on the surface, but in reality the response is very complex by nature because one-to-one is not about the laptops; it is about the learning.  Research reports and briefs enable us to build our knowledge about effective practices and potential outcomes. Each of us has probably had a similar experience:  We receive and eagerly read the results of an "exhaustive research report" regarding the effectiveness of a one-to-one initiative.  Our hope is that this report will provide us with insights that do not already exist; insights that will help us continue to build the effectiveness of our learning programs.  However, what criteria do we use to judge the value of these reports, and are we using evaluative reports as simply reflective tools? Can we also look for emerging patterns of information in multiple reports that will help us not only understand our work but design highly effective learning programs?  For educators, including school and district leaders, technology coaches, and classroom teachers, turning research into action is a must. How can evaluative research reports empower educators to turn research findings into classroom principles and action?

Let's examine one outcome of one-to-one programs that has been documented in multiple research findings: improvement in student writing abilities.  One recommended report, prepared by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute at the University of Southern Maine, is titled, Maine's Middle School Laptop Program:  Creating Better Writers. Year 8 writing test scores for two groups were examined for school years 2000 and 2005.  Groups included all 8^th grade laptop students, students who did not use laptops during all phases of the writing process, and students who used laptops during all phases of the writing process.  Evidence in the report indicates that using laptops in all phases helped students to become better writers in general, not just while using laptops. 

Another report out of Maine, One-to-One Laptops in a High School Environment, also found improvement in year 11 students writing scores on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) scores.  Although this is a final report and it does address student writing, it does not concentrate solely on that topic.  The report provides evidence of student motivation, student engagement, student-teacher interaction, increased access to educational resources, and perceived improved quality of student work and achievement.

In yet another research report, The Wireless Writing Program 2004-2005, research director, Dr. Sharon Jeroski, reported on the direct impact for sixth and seventh grade students in British Columbia's Peace River North School District.  These students were provided access to laptops with the objective of improving student writing ability.  Findings state that 88% of students met grade level expectations in writing while nearly half of all students reached the top two levels of achievement, an increase from 36% in 2004 to 46% in 2005.

It is not suggested that these reports represent the only available resources, but please consider the following:  What questions do these reports evoke for you?  What insights do they provide?  Can we identify best practices that should be incorporated into all one-to-one classes and programs?  What implications do these reports and their outcomes suggest for educators who are serving as Technology Coaches (please refer to Bruce Dixon's article in this newsletter). Please share your ideas with other foundation members!

By Donna Rojo, Year 10 student, Corcoran High School, Corcoran Unified School District

(Note: The italicized words are quotes from the contributing student)

Profound truths emerge from focused guided conversations with students about their learning experiences, their commitment to education and the way they see that education and their future merging to provide success.  Student comments can provoke insightful dialogue among educators.  This article, jointly written, is meant to do just that:  provoke engaging dialogue as well as new ideas for educators (and possibly students) in whatever capacity they currently serve.

It is important to note that Corcoran High School is located in a rural agricultural valley called the San Joaquin Valley or the Central Valley of California.  This valley is the largest agricultural valley in the world, both in size and production.  While known as 'the nation's salad bowl' because of the great array of fruits and vegetables grown here, it is also home to a large number of low-income agricultural workers - not an uncommon challenge in an ag-based economy. Several years ago, Corcoran Unified School District made the decision to build a one-to-one program in grades 7-12.  For Donna Rojo, a year 10 student, this opportunity has truly been life-changing.

We have learned so much and we are so excited about learning.  These were some of the first words I ever heard Donna utter regarding her laptop learning experiences. I came to learn that she had so much more to say!

 In an earlier interview, I said, "If technology is our future, then why are people so afraid of it?" Today, more than ever, I support that question. I remember I was even a little afraid when I first started using laptops in class.  When I was in the 4^th and 5^th grade, I remember taking computer classes once a week and I remember learning the basics of keyboarding and Word. I remember having fun learning with my classmates when Mrs. Johnson would bring up Brain-Pop on the Internet. I really enjoyed my time on Friday afternoons when we walked over to the computer lab.  During my 8^th grade year, my English Teacher, Mrs. Hulbert, who I completely adore, informed the class that the school had received a grant to buy new laptops and that we would be the first class to receive them. That class was my favorite class by far because I learned so much. We students used laptops to learn almost everyday.  That year was the first time I had ever heard of a flash drive. I had so much fun because I not only learned about English, but we also learned how to think differently, which was, I think, due to our laptop experience. I learned how to use programs that helped me as a student, so I saw the direct connection between school and my future.  I also learned to love using laptops instead of fearing what would happen in class because of them.

Corcoran High School's laptop initiative started when Donna was a year 9 student and Donna recognizes the change in learning environments since the implementation of the district laptop initiative. During my freshman year at Corcoran High School (year 9) my English teacher, Mrs. Stone, who is now serving as learning director and counselor, received her class laptops.  She introduced us to new ways of using the laptops, like class websites, which was great because we could always use the website to find out about class and each student could log-in and then work at their own speed. It really did help us out to have a class website because it really organized us as a class and unified us as learners to be successful.  We also started taking tests or quizzes online, which was also great because we learned almost instantly how well we did on the test. Mrs. Stone taught us how to use online discussion forums. I loved the interactivity of online discussions because we all got involved in sharing our thoughts and what we had learned and we could give feedback to one another, which was especially helpful.  One of the programs available on all laptops is Inspiration, which empowers students to create thinking maps. Mrs. Stone taught us how to use Inspiration and that really helped us a lot because we used it to better organize our learning and thinking.  By the time we were done with a unit of study, we knew we were thinking differently about the topic.  This program also supported my writing, and I became a better writer.  All of these developments just really excited me about learning.

Donna speaks easily about the connection between what she is learning in school and her life. Bringing in laptops really helped us so much with not only school but beyond, as well, because it opened new doors for us. So having technology at school really helps us out a lot  Technology does not only live in my high school, but it runs our lives as well. For example, during the summer of 2007 I was accepted to a summer government camp called Junior Statesman of America which was  at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The other students who attended and I took our school laptops with us and this made such a difference.  We felt we were more effective in our activities because we could apply what we learned in Corcoran to what we were doing during this camp. 

This program has even affected my family life.  Before I became a laptop student, my parents never really asked me much about exactly what I was doing in classes, but when they saw me get really excited about what I was learning, they wanted to talk about what I was doing in school every day. I see that it has really influenced my parents as well.  My friends tell me the same thing, and so I think it has really helped our community to grow as a whole.  We have learned so much, and we are so excited about learning.  It has been especially good here in Corcoran because we are such a small town. 

Donna addresses two groups about the future when asked for her words of advice.  I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those who helped my school get laptops and I would also like to take the time to stress how important it is to bring technology to a child's life. Technology is not something that should be forgotten and put to the side; it should be taken seriously because, in the end, it is inevitably our future.  It seems that teachers tend to talk to each other about their core subjects, and so they aren't really on the same page with each other as to what programs they should use.  Teachers, please talk to one another about how you are going to tie your lessons in with technology.  Talk about what program or website would be most helpful for your class learning environment.  I know that I think differently now as a student because before we got our laptops I never thought of them as a tool to learn.  So I really encourage students to try hard and to learn everything that is put in front of them, because in the future, every little lesson is extremely helpful.

Q:  Recently I was involved in a discussion with a school administrator about the power of one-to-one learning.  He asked engaging questions and listened intently, and then he requested a statement regarding the following, "Tell me in one or two sentences why foundation members know that one-to-one learning is a must."  I shared again with him evaluative reserach outcomes that point out the high levels of student engagement, ownership, and motivation.  That teacher pedagogy evolves to incorporate both content area knowledge and skills necessary to be successful life-long learners.  That student writing improves, and that students have heightened perceptions regarding their ability to function in the world beyond school, to be life-long learners.  I was unable to answer his next question:  "I understand what the evaluative research shows, but what do foundation members believe about the necessity of one-to-one learning?"  And so, I am asking you to consider the three questions listed below and to provide other foundation members with your insight by answering these questions at our online survey site:

1. What is your most compelling student learning reason for implementing a one-to-one program?
2. What is your most compelling teacher instruction reason for implementing a one-to-one program?
3. Why should schools implement one-to-one programs?

A: The December AALF newsletter will report your responses to these three questions. Thank you in advance for giving us a few minutes of your invaluable time!