Richmond, VA — “In just a short period of time, the changes we’ve seen in teaching methodology since we began our iBook laptop initiative have been just phenomenal. We’ve moved from the traditional lecture model, where students take notes and regurgitate information, to a real constructivist type of learning model, where the kids collaborate; they problem-solve; they do research; and they actually construct knowledge. With all of the wonderful information available to them now, learning has taken on a whole new complexion.”
- Dr. Vicki Wilson, Assistant Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools

Henrico County’s teachers have seen their students come to regard their iBook laptops as the one item they absolutely can’t be without. In fact, says Assistant Superintendent Vicki Wilson, Ph.D., students with minor damage to their laptops can rarely be convinced to give them up for even the brief time needed for repairs.

“The amazing thing,” Wilson smiles, “is that now kids will tell you ‘my laptop is my locker; it’s my classroom notebook; it’s my calendar; and it’s my backpack.’ And since the teachers have their own web pages where they post all of the assignments and what will be done in class each day, the students really have everything in one place. It’s phenomenal how quickly this has taken hold.”

“My son Tyler uses his iBook computer for everything,” confirms Dulcy Murchison, whose son Tyler attends John Randolph Tucker High School. “The laptop has really helped him improve his organisational skills, since everything’s right there on his computer. He’s not rummaging through a backpack anymore or looking for something. I can’t imagine him ever going back to the old way of learning.”

The wireless laptops are also bridging learning between the classroom and home, adds Dr. Mark Edwards, superintendent of Henrico County Public Schools. “One of the things that’s so thrilling for us is to see students with their laptops open, in places you’d never see students with a book open,” says Edwards. “It’s commonplace for us to have children sitting in the hallways, doing research together on a project ... then they take their laptops home and they can finish up their work at the kitchen table or in their bedrooms. In this environment, learning doesn’t stop just because the teacher’s not around.”

Academic Achievement on the Rise
Wilson says a test of the iBook laptop’s value as an educational tool brought immediate success. Traditionally, Henrico’s high school students (as well as all secondary students in Virginia) have scored lowest on standardized testing in U.S. History. Thus, HCPS teachers elected to create their first digital content in that subject.

“We said, ‘Let’s pick the area where we’ll be most challenged,’” Wilson explains. “We built the course, used it last year and indeed — our students’ scores went up considerably. We also saw huge boosts in academic achievement in English, which was another subject where we’d focused a lot of attention around creating content for use on the iBook computers. It really demonstrates that kids are digital learners.”