Deborah,

You should rejoice that you have a headmaster that wants to drive the change to digital learning and that you are on the committee. I have not been able to convince the powers that be in my district to move into the main areas of digital learning:

1:1
Blended/online learning
Digital content

However, we have 3 iPad carts and have almost four years experience managing iOS devices.

My suggestion is to look at high schools that have instituted 1:1 with iPads. Brookfield HS has the longest experience and Glastonbury HS has a very well thought out plan. Also, if you can go to Burlington HS (MA), they have a very dynamic leader (Pat Larkin) and the most experience of any public high school within easy driving range.

As to digital content, we’re setting up a trial with EBSCOhost Discovery. We subscribed to 2300 ebooks and added them to our Destiny catalog. We are interested in EBSCOhost Discovery because it incorporates the iConn connection, the ebooks, and some other services they offer, especially collections that are coordinated with CCSS. Also, the ebooks can be used by many students at the same time, versus the Overdrive model.

I suggest you contact the Apple rep for CT, Howie Horvath hhorvath@apple.com and the EBSCO rep, Steve Mikels smikels@ebscohost.com

Give me a call, if you want more detail.

Good luck.

John Crowley
Director, Learning Resources & Information Technology
Joel Barlow High School
100 Black Rock Turnpike
Redding, CT 06896
203-938-2508 x1540
fax 203-938-9851

From: Deborah Sharpe <DSharpe@woodstockacademy.org>
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 12:23 PM
To: CASL <casl-l@mylist.net>
Subject: [CASL-L] 1:1 Devices in schools

Hello everyone,

I am on our newly created school committee for 1:1 devices. The committee has been given the following tasks:

1. Research and select devices

2. Develop a plan for implementing the 1:1 initiative

3. Explore the impact on teaching and learning and determine ways to maximize the overall effectiveness of a 1:1 program

If any of you have a 1:1 program and would be willing to share information/advice that pertains to any of the above topics, I would greatly appreciate it!!

Additionally, I am curious how these programs have impacted/changed your school library. Our headmaster would like to see a shift from print to digital books. If the 1:1 program changed the focus of your collection development I would love to hear that too! I have heard from many school librarians that e-books (both fiction and non-fiction) have not been met with great success (some students prefer print books, digital non-fiction books can be difficult to use/navigate, etc.). If you have shifted to a more digital collection and would like to share your thoughts (positive or negative) I would love to hear anything you have to say!!

Thanks in advance for the info =)

Deb Sharpe

Bracken Memorial Library

Woodstock Academy