School corporations may soon implement one to one policy

The Area 30 Career Center Board conducted its first meeting of 2012 Tuesday morning, discussing several matters, including the balanced calendar and one to one implementation.

Area 30 Technology Director Ruben Hinners gave the board an update on the one to one implementation. Hinners discussed each school district's one to one implementation plan and how Area 30 hopes to participate in the process.

"We are all moving forward hopefully at a similar pace," Executive Director Lora Busch said.

The one to one program is attempting to provide each student with a laptop or access to a similar device throughout all school districts.

"Approximately 80 percent of all student PCs at Area 30 will be seven years old and out of warranty in the next year and a half," explained Hinners. "It would be great if all the school corporations could agree on a same solution that benefits all students."

Currently, the Cloverdale School Corporation has already begun implementing new technology within its second-grade classes and is hoping to reach more students within the coming years.

"We want to have the same kind of environment that the kids are used to," explained Hinners. "We want to create a consistent learning model."

All board members agreed that with ever-changing technology, school districts need to keep up with the times.

"We either get on the train or we fall off the train," Area 30 Board President Murray Pride said. "Now labs are out and personal is in."

Area 30 is hoping to have an infrastructure or learning system in place first before beginning any drastic changes. The technology coordinators have already begun meeting monthly to discuss varying topics as well as future technologies.

"It would be great if all the school corporations could implement the one to one student solution at the same time," said Hinners.

The board has no plans as of yet to when the model will be implemented but will begin working on it soon.

The balanced calendar was also discussed as board members came prepared with their own draft copies based on their school districts. Although, nothing has been finalized the board will begin approving their calendars within the coming months. For the most part all school corporations are working together to provide corresponding dates for the 2012-13 school year.