‘A big deal for our school’: High School in North Chicago students get personal laptops
Staff and students at the North Chicago community high school will begin a new school year designed to strengthen the learning environment.
The Chromebook 1:1 Initiative will roll out this fall, providing the 820 students with a laptop device that will be assigned to them and transfer over from year to year.
The school began working with the technology in 2013 when 900 Chromebooks were purchased, but those laptops have become worn out and the software is too old for updates, said Ben Martindale, chief education officer for North Chicago Community Unit School District 187.
The district will now lease 900 new Chromebooks for the next four years, which will perform better with double the random-access memory, longer Acer as07b72 laptop battery life and about five times faster speed, said David Collins, District 187 technology director.
“This is a big deal for our school. We’re very excited to be able to make this happen,” Collins said.
Previously, students were able to use a Chromebook in class but could not remove it from the classroom. That meant they used a different device at each class and were not able to have access at home.
Collins said the move will be a game-changer for students and teachers.
“Not everyone has a device at home,” Collins said. “The biggest piece for me is that kids now will be able to work collaboratively during lunch or before and after school and do their research and homework at home.”
Cumbersome laptop carts that took up space in classrooms will no longer be needed, as each student will travel with their device and a case that will also be provided by the school.
The total cost to lease the 900 Chromebooks with insurance, a software license and the carrying cases is $305,000.
Collins said the new program is well worth the cost, and district officials are excited to place this new responsibility and accountability in the hands of their students, along with the benefits of the new technology.
“They’re going to be using technology devices when they leave high school, in college and work. This will get them started in that path,” Collins said.
Students will have to pay a tech fee of $40 per year and return the devices to school during summer breaks for maintenance.
A filter will keep the laptops protected, and analytical data collected from the software will be used to enhance the curriculum, Collins said.
The remaining 80 Chromebooks will be used for testing and lending to students who might have their Chromebook out for maintenance.
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