"The older chrome books to the seniors, juniors, sophomores and the newer ones to the freshman," Debra Ezell, Fort Stockton ISD technology director said.

FORT STOCKTON, Texas Our world logs on and plugs in to the internet using digital tools every single day.

Thats why Fort Stockton ISD continues to develop their technology program.

Years ago they got to work.

"We started purchasing carts like the cart behind me and 25 chrome books within each cart and setting them at the high school and all the rest of the campuses," Debra Ezell, Fort Stockton ISD technology director said.

3 years ago they tore down these carts and started assigning each chrome book to each high school student to take home if they paid a $30 insurance fee.

Others have followed suit.

"I have watched other districts, especially along that 1-35 corridor that have embraced 1 to 1 technology with their students and Ive been hearing for many years all of the awesome things that theyre doing with those students and how the students are learning," Ezell said.

Fort Stockton ISD understands why there is a need for this kind of academic development.

"Students are digital natives, staff, digital immigrants. The students are going to learn regardless. They use all this technology at home already. Its their language. They breathe it. Its air to them," Ezell said.

"I found that it brought out my quietest, most timid students. You put them behind a screen and a keyboard and they explode, they flourish," Ezell said.

And because of their initiative, Fort Stockton high school was un-phased by the COVID-19 transition this spring.

And it doesnt stop here.

Their goal is to keep adding to their chrome book fleet, getting new chrome books to freshmen students each year and to ultimately not be constrained by cost.

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Both Midland and Ector County ISDs are trailing 3 years behind Fort Stockton when it comes to one-to-one technology.

But this fall, both school districts will be implementing these devices for all campuses.

Excerpt from:

Fort Stockton ISD champions one-to-one technology long before COVID-19 - NewsWest9.com