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January 2014 Newsletter     

The mission of One-to-One Institute is to transform education by personalizing learning through universal access to technology.


The movement toward 1:1 computing in education has steadily grown over the last several years, and interest continues to grow. Several regional conferences have been created to help serve this interest. Three such conferences are the Lausanne Laptop Institute, the Iowa 1:1 Conference, and the Great Lakes 1:1 Computing Conference. These three organizations, along with the Canadian Education Association have identified the need for more comprehensive support of 1:1 implementation efforts, as well as the need to unify the 1:1 community.

 

The centerpiece of our unifying effort is the creation of the International 1:1 Computing Conference. The conference acted as a nexus where education leaders shared challenges and successes, learned from colleagues, made meaningful long-term connections, and set a path to transform their practice. 


A Stepping Stone for a Vital Movement

by Leslie Wilson, CEO, One-to-One Institute

 

Alicia Banuelos

The inaugural International 1:1 Computing Conference, December 2 and 3, 2013, in Atlanta drew participants from around the world. Alicia Banuelos, San Luis, Argentina, kicked of the event describing how she led the 'constitutional right' for students in San Luis to have Internet access.  Her amazing true life story laid the groundwork for many tales of 1:1 challenges, successes, leaders and research.  It was striking how the work has evolved and stories have changed over the course of a decade.

 

True, the participants have been drinking 1:1 kool-aid for a long time. Yet, each of us learned more to take away and continue to progress.  Many commented on how,  regardless your geography, ethnicity, political leanings or student profiles - the challenges and success navigation strategies are the same.  We have a common, working vocabulary for both philosophical and tactical foundations.

 

First, the mere mention of 1:1 doesn't capture the authentic education transformation that is at the heart of the work.  The core work is moving from the industrialized school model to that of an information-age, personalized one.  This, where students are self-motivated, self-actualized as they take ownership of their own learning and progress. The teacher's role is pivotal - becoming one of activator of student learning leading a new ecosystem that is student-centric NOT adult-centric.  As Ron Canuel, Executive Director of CEA and a co-conference organizer, aptly states, "Educators didn't sign on to this work with a goal to remain comfortable, secure and safe as an adult into later life; they signed on to serve students, care about their achievement and ultimately make communities and the world a better place." That's lofty and it's focused on learners-an important reminder.

 

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International 1:1 Computing Conference Update
Lessons Learned From a Community of Practice
by Ann McMullan
Education Technology Consultant

  

1to1 Conference Large

The International 1:1 Computing Conference, held in Atlanta on December 2 and 3, was a great opportunity to learn and understand the challenges and successes that make up the process of transforming teaching and learning from a broad spectrum of nations and implementation levels. This inaugural event was the result of successful joint efforts and collaboration between the One-To-One Institute, the Lausanne Institute, and the Canadian Education Association. Each session provided insightful glimpses into the process and progress of digital learning around the globe. Below are a few examples.

 

Dr. Alicia Banuelos inspired the audience in the opening keynote with her story of making access to the Internet a constitutional right for students in her home province of San Luis in Argentina. The province of San Luis is a rural area that is now becoming one of the fastest growing economies in Argentina. Dr. Banuelos reminded all of us that one person, with vision and determination, can change the world for the better.

 

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London Education Summit - House of Lords
We Need to Talk About 21st Century Learning
by Valerie Thompson
Chief Executive, eLearning Foundation

  

Students at Hammersmith Academy

A special group of education professionals came together on the 21st January in the House of Lords to talk about learning in the 21st century. As well as UK delegates, they came from the USA, Canada and Brussels. Their backgrounds included academia, education, politics, business, the charity sector and the media.

 

The objectives of the event were:

  • To forge an alliance between the One-to-One Institute in the USA and the e-Learning Foundation in the UK and other partners who share our vision
  • To execute a high profile event focused on 1:1 access and e-learning
  • To leverage media attention on how to make 1:1 access and e-learning effective
  • To engage educational thought-leaders, policy makers, educators and educational journalists in high-level strategy discussions
  • To kick start a global conversation and collaboration among organisations and individuals with similar missions

The discussion, chaired by Lord Knight, was wide ranging but the consensus in the room was overwhelming.

 

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Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Students
by Ann McMullan
Education Technology Consultant

 

On January 21, a group of twenty-five professionals met in the Attlee Room in the United Kingdom's Parliament House of 

Lords. The participants came from a wide variety of backgrounds, but all shared a strong vision for how technology must support student learning in the 21st century and an equally strong passion for doing right by today's students. The One-To-One Institute, based in the United States, and the UK's eLearning Foundation jointly organized the event, titled: "We Need to Talk About 21st Century Learning". The purpose was to convene a global conversation on 21st century learning, education reform and the impact of learning technologies. Intel Education and Samsung served as corporate sponsors.  

 

Invited participants included current members of the House of Lords, and leaders of the United Kingdom's education system. Other participants from Europe, Canada, the US and the UK were comprised of education practitioners and researchers, leaders of non-profit organizations, and representatives of private industry. All came together to collaborate on the challenges and successes of transforming education systems to meet the needs of 21st century students.

 

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About One-to-One Institute

 

One-to-One Institute grew out of Michigan's successful, statewide one-to-one initiative, Freedom to Learn.  One-to-One Institute is a national non-profit committed to igniting 21st century education through the implementation of one-to-one technology in K-12 settings.  Our mission is to transform education. We believe that by personalizing learning through universal, uninterrupted access to technology students will take ownership of their learning and maximize their potential. 

 

One-to-One Institute offers professional learning, consultancy, expertise and hands-on experience in all aspects of developing learning environments that meaningfully integrate technology. Based on the latest research and our experience in hundreds of 1:1 environments, OTO has crafted a set of best practices for leadership, infrastructure and instruction to help ensure that your program is successful and sustainable.

 

In This Issue

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One-to-One Institute Board of Directors

 

Dr. William A. Hamilton 

President

 

Dr. Brian A. McNulty

Vice President

 

Dr. Eileen Lento 

Secretary

 

Ms. Camille Jones 

Treasurer

 

Mr. Matt Williams 

Board Trustee

 

Upcoming Events & Presentations
Nevada Department of Education Summit
 
February 12, 2014
 
The OTO Team is participating in a 2-day summit on education technology and 1:1, by invitation of the Nevada Department of Education and in cooperation with Cisco.

NSBA Spring Site Visit - Vail Public Schools (AZ)
 
February 26, 2014
 
The Vail School District, near Tucson, has been grabbing headlines for more than a decade. Among their many "firsts" was the opening of Empire High School in 2005 as the first one-to-one, textbook free district in the nation. They will be sharing their many lessons from the Empire experience along with best practices around BYOD,  equipping buses with wi-fi, and creating a comprehensive program, Beyond Textbooks, to support curriculum, instruction, assessment, and multi-level interventions. Seeing is believing... and you owe it to your staff and students to learn first-hand how similar decisions can positively impact your district. The site visit is hosted jointly by Vail and The National School Boards Association's Technology Leadership Network. To see a complete agenda or to register, visit www.nsba.org/tlnsitevisits

SXSWedu Conference
 
March 3-6, 2014
 
The SXSWedu Conference & Festival features four days of compelling sessions, socials, and events for education professionals, industry leaders and policy practitioners committed to the future of teaching and learning.

Potterville School District - Immersion Training
 
March 4, 2014
 

Immersion Experience: 

  • Shifting practice from teacher- to student-centric
  • Meaningful integration of technology 
  • Unpacking the Common Core
  • Inquiry-based teaching and learning with technologies

A part of the One-to-One Implementation Protocol. 

 

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