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One-to-One Computing When the 2009-2010 school year opened this year, all Guerin Prep students were carrying a laptop computer to class on a daily basis, completing a three year phase in of Guerin Prep's One-to-One Computing Program. Guerin Prep began the one-to-one computing program in the fall of 2007 with the freshmen and sophomore classes. Each fall since a new class has been added to maximize the school’s mission to prepare students for success in college and career. Beginning this fall, all students will be bringing their laptops to class each day. Thanks to a wireless infrastructure installed throughout the school building, each student is able to access the Internet anywhere. This technology, combined with the school’s curriculum and a well-versed faculty allows students to explore diverse cultures and new perspectives; write and edit reports, essays and presentations electronically; plan, prepare and present creative multimedia projects; access online tutoring and communicate with teachers and others worldwide. Electronic textbooks for most core classes are loaded on the laptop. Though the real test of Guerin Prep’s one-to-one computing program will come when the first group of “laptop” graduates go off to college, a recent “mid-term evaluation” indicates that these laptops are transforming the way teachers teach. A technology evaluation of all Guerin Prep teachers to chart the progress of the two-year old laptop program was conducted this past spring and affirmed that that Guerin teachers have effectively integrated technology in their lesson plans and that the use of technology tools has been standardized in every Guerin Prep classroom. According to Ben Freville, assistant professor at Dominican University who teaches future teachers how to use technology, the daily life of students will necessarily be about computers—about the Web—about encountering the world through digital technology. His advice?
In the process of teaching these skills, Freville says students also learn how to operate the machines; they learn how to navigate various software tools, which leads to a sense of ease for them in college and later on in the workplace. But more importantly, Freville believes students will also learn cooperation and how to work collaboratively. Eventually, they will learn how to analyze and synthesize information. They will be led to what he calls higher order thinking. They will become problem solvers. However, the best byproduct of a computer-based education, according to Freville, is that the use of the computer increases interest in learning, it helps motivate students, it creates an engaged classroom.
"You’re working with other students. Instead of thinking that the computer isolates people, the computer can connect people; it offers opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with other people.” Freville hopes this will happen for students at Guerin Prep, and he is playing a role in bringing that about. He has already offered a day-long workshop for Guerin Prep faculty, and he will meet with them once a month throughout the coming year to offer ideas and suggestions about how technology can be incorporated into the classroom. The advantage of this kind of learning environment for the future, says Freville, is “incredible.”
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Contact Us | Guerin College Preparatory High School | 8001 W. Belmont Av. River Grove, IL 60171 | T: 708.453.6233 | F:708.453.6296 |
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