From Agriculture to the Information Age in North Carolina.
Apple 1 to 1 Learning
Nearly 70 percent of the 3200 K-12 students in rural Greene County receive free or reduced-price lunches. Until recently, only a privileged few had technology access in the home. But with the purchase of hundreds of wireless iBook laptops for middle and high school students in the county, the distinction between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is rapidly disappearing.
“The iBook laptops have literally opened up the world for our children.”
— Pat Adams, School Board Chair, Greene County School System
School Superintendent Steve Mazingo says a number of factors contributed to the decision to choose Apple laptops, despite the fact that the schools had Windows-based desktop systems. School administrators felt that Apple clearly understood the educational environment (especially in a small, rural school system), and already had successful professional development models in place that were ideal for Greene County. In addition, Mazingo and his colleagues believed that Apple had the best hardware products available, and were dedicated to the success of Greene County’s 1 to 1 learning initiative.
As soon as the laptops were distributed, Mazingo reports that student engagement increased significantly, and there were documented reductions in disciplinary problems. Additionally, the arrival of the laptops rejuvenated community spirit in the county — nearly 95 percent of the parents of middle and high school students took part in computer orientation sessions with their children.
With the use of their wireless iBook laptops and media-rich software programs, Greene County students are now actively engaged in learning. The school board and county commissioners have been so encouraged by the initiative that they are currently working towards a countywide broadband implementation, ensuring technology access in the homes of all students. And, school administrators are now confident that students in their rural district have the same educational advantages as their big-city peers.
