A New Day for 1:1

Last week I was honored to be a key speaker at the California Education Technology Professionals Association (CETPA) Pasadena conference. The session was full of interested, passionate educators seeking to advance or begin a 1:1 program. Brianne Ford, outgoing president of CETPA, arranged this session because of the high level of interest among her CA colleagues. The most impressive aspect for me is the number of educator administrators seeking to get 1:1 right. They want to follow the path to success and are willing to put in the time, blood, sweat and tears. They know that students are and must be at the center of this work. It is NOT about devices, hardware and software – but about moving to a student-centered, personalized learning environment. Teachers become activators of student learning..which demands a retooling of craft. Principals and other administrators have to be leaders of ‘change’, understanding their school culture and having skills to address the unique needs, concerns, fears and ambitions of each individual and group involved in the teaching and learning process. I also had the great pleasure of spending uninterrupted time with Ann McMullan, former education technology leader for Klein Schools in TX. Ann’s story regarding Klein’s move to a 1:1 ecosystem was beyond enlightening. Every aspect amplified the district’s collaborative leadership toward a common vision chock full of innovative, grassroots strategies to drive their work. Ann understood the necessity of professional learning in a 360 degree approach, as an undergirding for this work. Teachers’ abilities to grow, experiment and hone in on content area relevance was a major part of their work. Long before any of the rest of us understood the power of helping each teacher develop technology integrated content area lessons, Klein was providing each educator a toolkit to support their progress. Ann told the district long ago that her position was to work herself out of her job. In her perfect mind’s eye, if she did her job well, she would no longer be needed. Each school, teacher, would have the capacity to sustain personal growth in successfully implementing their 1:1 scenario while transforming schools altogether. Ann has retired from Klein. And she has successfully provided for the district’s internal capacities to move forward without someone in her former position. Great work!! Klein is a district to learn from! My work in CA was very rewarding. I was blessed to be able to meet and work with so many ed tech educators seeking the right path for their 1:1 programs-asking the right questions and willing to do the tough work. At the same time, I learned stories from many regarding their 1:1 beginnings and successful strategies that brought them to present day. The 1:1 tidal wave is in full force mode. With so many now seeking the right path there should be less need to seek shelter later on. Leslie Wilson CEO – One-to-One Institute Co-author – Project RED