By SARA GOODIE – News Editor
This school year, personal learning devices will be available to students in third through ninth grade in the Clarke County School District.
Through an effort to implement technology in a new and innovative way, students in third through ninth grade in the Clarke County School District will be issued their own personal learning devices to use for the duration of their high school careers.
“After three years of planning, professional learning and practice surrounding digital learning, we are excited to roll out a new teaching and learning model,” CCSD Superintendent Dr. Philip Lanoue said. “Whether students need enrichment or remediation, there will be an abundance of resources at their fingertips.”
The initiative to create Innovative Digital Learning Environments was designed through collaboration between CCSD and the Georgia Department of Education. On Sept. 2, all freshman English classes will come to the media center and those eligible will receive either a Chromebook, netbook or HP laptop.
“I really think this is a really exciting thing that we’re doing in Clarke County,” media specialist Lindy Weaver said. “We’re going for a blended model where we will use technology in the classroom to help enhance what our teachers were already doing.”
In order for a freshman to receive a device, the student must have a user agreement on file and a parent or guardian must attend an orientation session. The last session was in the CCHS Media Center on August 29 from 5:30-7:30. During this time, parents could fill out or drop off forms and fees.
Media specialist Lindy Weaver presented at an orientation session for freshman parents on Aug. 21. “It’s a new initiative and we’ve never done anything like this and there are going to be some bumps in the road. But if everyone could be patient, I think it’s going to end up being a really awesome thing,” Weaver said.
“There is a $25 optional technology fee. I highly recommend that every family take advantage of that even if you decide not to let the students take the device home, because it will pay for any damage except damage that is intentional,” Weaver said.”
According to Instructional Technology Specialist Carrie Siegmund, budget constraints and complications with construction made it impossible for CCHS to provide all students with devices. She said freshmen were chosen because one-to-one environments, where there is one device per student, were already implemented in CCSD middle schools.
“They’ve been one-to-one since last year, and so they’ve gotten used to that style of instruction, that style of learning. If they were to come here and not have daily access to the devices, it would be a disservice,” Siegmund said.
Some parents of freshmen are looking forward to students being assigned their own PLDs.
“I think it’s a good idea because a lot of kids tend to not have devices at home or they can’t get places where they need to get the devices,” parent Yolanda Hall said. “This will be real good for the kids who won’t be able to do their homework. I think it’s a great idea.”
Many freshmen are excited about the PLDs as well, though some are concerned about how the effective they will be.
“You’re giving kids what they want. If you give kids what they want, they might do more work for you,” freshman Nelson Parra said.
However, some parents take issue with the reliance on technology.
“I understand there’s a lot of technology in the world, but I also know that basic studying skills you don’t need technology for,” parent Buz Dale said. “I think it’s good that they learn how to use it, but I’d hate to see it as a crutch to how to learn everything else.”
Parents like Dale feel that while the technology could be helpful, it could undermine student learning.
“I think it’s a tool, and they can be used, they can be misused or they can be unused,” Dale said. “If you tow it around all the time and you don’t ever use it, it’s just a big rock in your backpack. If you use it correctly, it can really accelerate your learning process.”
Additionally, many upperclassmen feel excluded from the benefits of this innovative learning style.
“It doesn’t seem like an equal learning opportunity for (upperclassmen,),” senior Benjamin Santos said. “I want to say it’s unfair, but it’ll benefit the younger generation.
Junior Jarquez Cooper agrees that upperclassmen deserve PLDs to help them with classwork.
“Upperclassmen, we have more work so we might get behind on something and we might need to catch up,” Cooper said. “I think some people might get behind, and some people might be ahead or on the right track. But I think that all of us need computers.”
CCHS is working to move all the entire school to a one-to-one environment in which all students will receive PLDs
“We do think it’s really important to go one-to-one in the near future in grades three through twelve,” Siegmund said. “That’s the goal. We want to bring it to everybody.
For parents and students who have questions about the Innovative Digital Learning Environments, a Student/Parent Handbook is available below.
“The district spent a lot of time getting (the handbook) ready for you guys, so it pretty much answers any questions you may have,” Weaver said. “If you do have any questions throughout the school year about anything, please don’t hesitate to call the school and ask the media center.”
Weaver is optimistic about the new initiative and encourages parents and guardians to allow students to receive PLDs.
“The whole idea about Clarke County issuing these laptops is, we are changing the way we are teaching inside of classrooms,” Weaver said. “We’re focusing on the technology not as a replacement for a textbook, but as a means for your child to become a producer of information. They’ll be the makers.”
