Tis the Season...

At the end of the day yesterday, we distributed the new HP 100e mini-laptops to members of the freshman class. The purchase of these powerful little computers was financed by a grant from the federal eRATE program and is part of a four year plan to provide computing technology to all of our students. I recall when this idea first surfaced almost five years ago during the community-wide Future Search session which began the process leading to the development of our school district's Strategic Plan. Someone pledged to work to ensure that all of our students would have a laptop computer. Well, that individual did not really follow up on that pledge nor did he have anything to do with this new project, but the idea did resonate and here we are five years later a week before Christmas providing each one of our freshmen with a new mini-computer! The real credit for this project goes to our Director of Technology Deb Morgan for developing the vision, researching the available technology, and for securing the funding. Well done!

So yesterday was pretty exciting. Since we waited until after lunch to begin the distribution, all day long the freshmen were buzzing about getting new computers. Their excitement was palpable as they were brought into our computer lab to receive their machine, check that their log in would work, and sign the official paper work. The smiles on the faces of the students was truly rewarding. However, most rewarding was the discovery I made when I went into a freshman biology class twenty minutes after they had all received their laptops. The students were sitting at their desks with their new laptops open entering data into a spreadsheet in order to eventually create a graph of their data. A simple project but a great start nonetheless. All of the teachers who have freshman classes have been preparing to integrate more technology projects into their instruction. This 1:1 laptop project is based on the belief that engaging students in solving problems and expanding their learning by using technology in the classroom and at home will not only replicate life and work in the real world of the 21st century but will also improve learning and student performance. Time and a program evaluation will certainly tell, however we have clearly entered into an exciting phase in education at CHS.

Sadly, my one regret is that we only had enough funding to supply the freshmen with laptops. Always impatient, I would have loved to have been able to purchase 210 computers but we could not afford it and we did have to start somewhere. However, that will not stop us from looking for additional funding to expand the program into the sophomore class which will then encompass half of our school. If that happens, it certainly will be cause for more celebration!

So, smiling faces and new computers with three days to go until the winter break. Regionalization is moving forward, the budget process looking positive, and the holiday season is upon us. With already so much for which we should be thankful, the new year is also looking like it will be filled with exciting progress and lots of success. Let's all make a resolution to ensure that it will be a great year!

This is most likely my last post before the holidays so let me take the opportunity to express my best wishes to all for a very happy holiday season! Look for more musings in the new year.