Staying abreast of educational technologies that allow students and faculty to connect, collaborate and communicate efficiently, Ranney School launched a much anticipated one-to-one student laptop program this fall as outlined in its new Strategic Plan.

Aside from providing access to the Internet, the school’s more than 500 compact Toshiba laptops —purchased this summer and distributed to students during the first week of class — contain such digital tools and programs as Microsoft Office 2010 Professional, Adobe CS5.5 Master Collection, MathType, Inspiration, Geometers Sketch Pad, an eBook Reader and Skype. To encourage classroom and student collaboration, each student also received a Google Docs for Education account. Google Docs for Education enables faculty, staff and students to actively collaborate with fellow peers from any location via sharable documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars and more.

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All Middle and Upper School students began using a personalized high performance laptop in September as part of this new program. According to Director of Technology Ed Curtin, the program promotes a computationally-rich learning environment that provides students unprecedented opportunities to demonstrate their intellectual competence and creativity. “By implementing equality of access across the divisions, students now have the ability to bridge learning beyond the classroom,” he said. “The one-to-one laptop program will transform our students from consumers of information to producers of new ideas.”

Equality of access within the classroom will also play a vital role in bringing coursework to life. To ensure his students the most dynamic educational experience possible, Upper School History Teacher Christopher Payne asks more questions whose answers require research via the Internet. “It’s all about access,” said Mr. Payne. “Students now have a world of information at their fingertips.”

To accommodate those less familiar with the various applications on each laptop, Ranney is providing students and faculty with seminars highlighting use of the 21st Century learning initiatives available on campus. Laptop sessions include basic training on how to backup, operate, maintain and troubleshoot the computers as well as discuss proper classroom etiquette and Internet safety.

As indicated by Upper School senior Thomas Hearne, using his laptop in the classroom makes it easier to listen and take valuable notes during lectures and presentations. Meanwhile, junior Conor Keenan stands by his laptop as a great way to stay organized. “It helps students manage their time more efficiently,” he said.

On-site repairs and support are also available to users of the one-to-one laptop program, and while the laptops are known for exceptional battery life, additional charging stations are being added to accommodate those working in the many technology-friendly areas located around campus.

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