School Boards Lead the Way with
1 to 1 Learning

Profiles in Success: Association of Alaska School Boards

Apple Professional Development Initiates Teacher Training

With Apple selected as the vendor, it was time to launch the massive professional development effort for teachers in the 55 pilot schools. Apple Professional Development led the way in developing and delivering the content. Then local teams of trainers stepped in to supplement the courses.

“It was a scramble for Apple to try to meet the needs of our teachers, especially in our more rural areas, and provide the staff training we required,” says Bruce Johnson, director of AASB’s  Consortium for Digital Learning. “One of the wonderful things that happened was that we were able to work with Apple to assemble a team of in-state trainers, all of whom have Alaskan experience and reside in Alaska. We still have the advantage of bringing in the content expertise from the cadre of national Apple trainers to meet a particular need, but the day-to-day things can be done locally.”

“Because of the distances involved in Alaska,” adds Johnson, “you cannot bring people together, even within a local school district, because of the huge costs for airfare and housing. Our Apple team and our local trainers are now offering classes across districts in a way that really meets teachers’ needs, through webcasting and videoconferencing. We’re definitely seeing a difference in the lives of the kids in the classroom, now that the Apple instructional tools are available to them. This is only possible through ongoing staff development.”

1 to 1 Learning Lowers Absenteeism and Tardiness

AASB also set up an expedited system of shipping computers to Apple Certified Repair Centers, ensuring that schools in remote regions of the state would have a quick turnaround on repairs. Additionally, the organization launched a long-term research program with the University of Alaska’s Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) to evaluate the success of the 1 to 1 learning initiative.

After only a few months of Apple notebook-based learning, teachers noticed significant differences in their classes . “Our 1 to 1 learning program has forever changed the way we teach,” says Laury Scandling, principal of Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School, which serves at-risk students. “We would never go back. To have the world on one’s desktop is timesaving for teachers, and engaging for students. No single tool or strategy is the silver bullet when it comes to helping kids cope with damaged lives. But our Apple notebooks have created a sense of pride and desire that is unique.”

Adds Tim Shumway, a teacher at Johnnie John Sr. School in Crooked Creek, “The impact of this program was felt dramatically and immediately. The Apple notebooks provide students with a link to almost unlimited information, enabling an increase in the amount and quality of project-based learning. Also, we have seen the rate of high school absenteeism more than cut in half, and the tardiness rate lowered by three times. Even without the clear educational benefits that these incredible tools provide, those figures alone justify any expense that this program incurs.”