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Originally Posted by 21C
I forgot to mention that we also have about 20 smartboards throughout the school. The money is supposed to buy computers for students use so there is essentially one computer for each child.
I don't want us to order a whole lot of computers that just sit there gathering dust. The other thing I'm worried about is that we spend this money on technology but it is useless unless we have teachers that know how to use it. I don't know if there is any money for training.
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My job is to do technology planning and integration at a JK-12 school. And I can say that what you've posted above is a huge red flag to me.
Going 1:1 without professional development is not a recipe for a successful program. The most important work that needs to be done falls under preparing the faculty to properly utilize these tools in instruction, so I hesitate to even comment on the various +s and -s of different 1:1 models (including iPad/Tablet).
That said it sounds like you're moving forward with this plan and so I would HIGHLY recommend you take advantage of Educational Collaborators free 1:1 Readiness Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?s...Sqp_2fxQ_3d_3d. You then get a free 1 hour phone call going over their analysis of your survey. EC does offer consulting services as well, but the 1:1 is less sales pitch and more about the analysis. They obviously hope you're impressed enough with their work to hire them. I have no direct ties to the company, other than knowing about the quality of their work.
If you have questions drop me a PM and I would be happy to talk with you some further.