Recognizing the importance of twenty-first century skills in the development of Region students, the One to One Chromebook Program began as an initiative by Region #16’s superintendent, Michael Yamin. Beginning with the freshmen and sophomores at Woodland, the program will allow students to have another tool to add to their learning.

This program is placed in effect under the goal to break barriers of learning and allow for a better environment. It will also allow for the ability to communicate in and out of the classroom with the teacher and other students.

Matthew Brennan, the technology director for the Region, will play an important role in running this program. Brennan, like many other members of the program, sees how much this will help students.

“The goal is to help improve student outcomes through technology, while technology, itself, doesn’t do this,” believes Brennan, “It allows student to take more initiative, break the barriers of the school, collaborate, create and research to learn more outside of the classroom.”

In a similar sense, Woodland English teacher, James Amato, sees how this will influence and better his curriculum and classes overall. As a Journalism teacher and advisor, Amato has already began integrating chromebooks into all his classes. He sees the value of the technology for all students.

“For me personally, there are a couple different levels of using a chromebooks: research, they can do it right there without having to use their phones or go to the library, being able to create assignments, and collaborating,” believes Amato.

The ability to collaborate is an important feature of this program, as through use of the Chromebooks and google-based programs, like Google Docs and Google Slides, multiple students can work together at home. This allows for better communication and a higher level of learning. An added bonus is teachers can also sign in to these programs at home to see and help students. This stops learning for ending as students leave the building.

This program will be funded as originally part of state-awarded grants, but will continue under the Region’s operating budget. Students will be given a Chromebook at the beginning of their freshmen year and this will stay with them for the next four years. They will also be able to keep it at home during the summer, and eventually, after graduation, it is theirs. Administration within Woodland will run the program, with policies and expectations set in place by the board.

In the next coming weeks, the freshmen and sophomores will be given the Chromebooks and ultimately, the goal is to bring the program down to the middle school level at Long River Middle School. Students will become better learners, more technologically advanced, and hopefully, better prepared for life beyond school.