iBooks Ensure Equal Technology Access for All Students
Profiles in Success: Del Mar Middle School
Tiburon, CA — Before Del Mar Middle School implemented a 1 to 1 learning program, school administrators really did their homework. Accompanied by teachers, parents, and other members of the community, Reed Union Superintendent Christine Carter and Del Mar Principal Sandy Kuzma toured several schools that had distributed wireless iBook laptops to their students. What they found was more than convincing. “As we walked out of Beachwood Middle School in Ohio, a teacher turned to me and said, ‘We can’t afford NOT to do this,’” says Kuzma. Now, thanks to the iBooks, homework and schoolwork are one seamless process at Del Mar.
Prior to the 1 to 1 learning program, every Del Mar teacher had an iBook laptop, and the school had a full complement of Apple technologies — two Mac-based computer labs, and three Apple Mobile Learning Labs. But teachers felt the typical frustrations in trying to schedule time on the computers for their students.
“I actually had a teacher in my office crying one night, because she couldn’t figure out how to get her kids enough time in the labs,” recalls Kuzma. “Clearly, to ensure equal computer access for all students we had to consider other options. Our local Apple representatives worked with us to strategize, and to show us the benefits of 1 to 1 learning.”
“Instead of isolation, the iBooks encourage collaboration and communication.”
— Christine Carter, Superintendent, Reed Union School District
iBook Laptops Engage, Support All Students
In the fall of 2004, a committee of teachers, administrative staff, parents, and Reed Union’s board of trustees joined together to research the feasibility of a laptop program for Del Mar. Visiting schools as far away as Ohio and Chicago, the committee came away impressed with the iBook laptop’s ability to create a dynamic, collaborative classroom environment.
Next Page: Students and Teachers Actively Adopting Technologies
