District Easing Into Potential 1:1 Technology

The Wilmington School Committee discussed its pilot programs during Wednesday night's meeting.

Wilmington continues to work towards a possible 1:1 learning strategy using laptops or iPads, but the district is taking its time in arriving at a plan for implementation. During Wednesday’s School Committee meeting, Technology Coordinator Neal Ellis updated board members on the district’s pilot programs that could ultimately shape how a possible permanent program will look. Four carts containing 25 netbooks each have been purchased for Wilmington Middle School, which was recently made wireless thanks to funds that were approved during this year’s Annual Town Meeting. Middle School teachers will soon meet to decide how to deploy the laptops. In addition, a high school pilot program is being developed that will be a Bring Your Own Device …

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Wilmington Schools Open to iPad or Laptop Learning

Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton said it is critical for schools to change and adapt to the technology of the world.

Technology is ever changing. But just how much the technology inside Wilmington classrooms changes in the near future remains to be seen. With high schools and colleges in the area turning to 1:1 programs that provide each student with an iPad, there are learning opportunities that go beyond textbooks. Burlington High School students received iPads last year and Regis College recently made the decision to turn into an all-iPad college. Wilmington Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton said the district is open to the 1:1 concept. Benton said that while iPads are strong pieces of equipment for receiving content, they do not allow students to create content and thus in a 1:1 program the district prefers laptops over iPads. “The Wilmington …

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Janus

4:54 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012

Jo, thank you for your informed reply. I hope the school district heeds your advice. Everything you state is accurate. As a professional in higher education, Wilmington students would be better served with tablets if seeking technological proficiency. I too was bothered by the comment that tablets merely serve as browsers when that is certainly not the case. I suspect the district is letting the …   more ›

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Question of the Day: iPads for Every Student?

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Our friends over at Burlington Patch posted a photo gallery on Tuesday of Burlington High School students receiving their iPads for the upcoming school year. Yes, you read that right. All incoming students received an iPad 2 as a part of a 1:1 program. "It has been an amazing few days at BHS as we have started the process of distributing over 1,000 iPads to our students," said Burlington High Principal Patrick Larkin. "It is such a wonderful experience to get students and their parents into the school together as we start this exciting journey together. Unfortunately in education, it is an uncommon occurrence for students, parents, and school staff to undertake something of this nature that is a shared learning experience." Technology is …

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