Goodbye Textbooks—Hello Netbooks: Gary Brantley
Reviewer: Gary Brantley
Position: Chief Information Officer
District/School: Lorain City Schools, OH
Number of Students in District: 9,600
Product: Acer Aspire One Netbooks running eReaders
Goals:
We want to make sure our students and staff have the ability to access content and data on demand. We wanted to replace traditional textbooks with digital experiences.
Reviewer’s Notes:
We worked as a team, and included all stakeholders in this netbook initiative. We wanted everyone at the table, which allowed everyone to feel that they had some ownership in this project.
Response:
The community and stakeholders were very excited when we rolled out this 1:1 program. Support has always been very positive, and we expect this to continue.
Learning Curve:
Students transitioned into this program relatively smoothly. The learning curve for our teachers was somewhat steep. We provided professional development. We will continue to provide opportunities for staff development, both now, and in the future. We are committed to digital learning and the tools necessary for student success.
How We Use It:
The netbooks have replaced books for our students and staff. We’ve eliminated our traditional textbooks. All of that content now resides on the Acer netbooks.
What’s Ahead?:
Our program now runs in grades 6-12, so we would like to expand it to more grades. We will strive to put the best tools in the hands of students and staff.
