In less than a month school will be back in session and the school districts 1:1 M-Powered Learning Initiative will be underway. During the 2017-18 school year, each student in grades 6-12 will be issued an individual district-owned Chromebook to be used at school and home for educational purposes. Previously, the school district offered students computing devices at a ratio of approximately one device for every 1.5 students, but the shared devices were only accessible at limited times during the school day.

While there will likely be some concerns and difficulties that the school district will need to work through with this initiative, it is anticipated that the value and potential benefits of providing all students with a device is well worth any problems that will be encountered.

According to an overview prepared by the school districts technology department, it is expected that this initiative will provide the access needed to reliably integrate technology tools for facilitating quality learning experiences, while helping to engage students in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

An introductory video and a wealth of other information about the 1:1 initiative is available on the school district website (www.tinyurl.com/sdmampower), but a few of the basic questions and answers for the program include:

Should school families or community stakeholders have any questions about the 1:1 technology initiative in the School District of the Menomonie Area , I invite you to visit me at the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue, or contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about our schools can be found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com), and I regularly post school-related information on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/menomonie.schools)

Thank you to SDMA Technology Team and Director of Technology Services Katie Krueger for contributing to this article.

Joe Zydowsky, Ph.D. is the district administrator for the School District of the Menomonie Area.

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School Crossings: 1:1 technology explained - Chippewa Herald