History of 1-to-1

Revision as of 21:56, 12 November 2010 (view source)

Current revision (22:15, 12 November 2010) (view source)

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In the 1960's, [[Seymour Papert]], a Professor of mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formulated the idea that computers could be used to revolutionize the way learning takes place in the classroom. In the 1980's many teachers attempted to implement Papert's ideas, but were met with many challenges due to a lack of hardware--most classrooms were equipped with only one computer. In 1990, the [[Methodist Ladies College]] an all-girls school located in Melbourne, Australia, introduced the first 1-to-1 program, ~~equipping~~ all of their fifth grade students with individual laptops. The students mainly worked with [[LogoWriter]], a version of Logo that combined the programming environment with a word processor.

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In the 1960's, [[Seymour Papert]], a Professor of mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formulated the idea that computers could be used to revolutionize the way learning takes place in the classroom. In the 1980's many teachers attempted to implement Papert's ideas, but were met with many challenges due to a lack of hardware--most classrooms were equipped with only one computer. Professor Papert believed that technology was a tool for thinking that made it possible for even young children to explore powerful ideas previously believed to be too difficult for them. Technology provided a medium for this exploration. Without adequate access to technology - one-to-one access - the true power of this medium for education would never be achieved. Children needed to have time with the technology and the exploration of ideas that the technology enabled.

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In 1990, the [[Methodist Ladies College]] an all-girls school located in Melbourne, Australia, introduced the first 1-to-1 program, inspired by the ideas of Professor Papert. They equipped all of their fifth grade students with individual laptops. (Note: this was before school internet connections and use.) The students mainly worked with LogoWriter, a version of Logo that combined the programming environment with a word processor. Observers were impressed when they saw the girls deeply engaged in developing projects, such as designing their own games, and discussing both design and their strategies for analyzing their thinking as they debugged their programs. People involved in this initial implementation, including Bruce Dixon, then owner of Computelec, the major distributor of hardware and educational software in Australia and New Zealand, began to work with other schools around Australia, bringing to them the idea of 1-to-1 idea. Visitors flocked to MLC and, within a few years, 80 schools in Australia had implemented 1-to-1.

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In the mid 1990's, Microsoft, having observed the effectiveness of these 1-to-1 schools in creating powerful learning environments, wanted to bring the idea to North America. Microsoft invited Mr. Dixon, who by this time had sold his company in order to promote the idea of 1-to-1, to the US to lead a series of events under the Microsoft Anytime Anywhere Learning Initiative (anytime anywhere learning being a phrase coined by Mr. Dixon). Several large conferences were held and a number of schools realized the potential of 1-to-1, including the Cincinnati Country Day School in Ohio, led by Charles Clark, as well as public schools in Fresno, CA, a district led by Walter Buster. They were some of the first schools to implement 1-to-1 in North America.

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-In the 1960's, [[Seymour Papert]], a Professor of mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formulated the idea that computers could be used to revolutionize the way learning takes place in the classroom. In the 1980's many teachers attempted to implement Papert's ideas, but were met with many challenges due to a lack of hardware--most classrooms were equipped with only one computer. In 1990, the [[Methodist Ladies College]] an all-girls school located in Melbourne, Australia, introduced the first 1-to-1 program, equipping all of their fifth grade students with individual laptops. The students mainly worked with [[LogoWriter]], a version of Logo that combined the programming environment with a word processor.
+In the 1960's, [[Seymour Papert]], a Professor of mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formulated the idea that computers could be used to revolutionize the way learning takes place in the classroom. In the 1980's many teachers attempted to implement Papert's ideas, but were met with many challenges due to a lack of hardware--most classrooms were equipped with only one computer. Professor Papert believed that technology was a tool for thinking that made it possible for even young children to explore powerful ideas previously believed to be too difficult for them. Technology provided a medium for this exploration. Without adequate access to technology - one-to-one access - the true power of this medium for education would never be achieved. Children needed to have time with the technology and the exploration of ideas that the technology enabled.
+In 1990, the [[Methodist Ladies College]] an all-girls school located in Melbourne, Australia, introduced the first 1-to-1 program, inspired by the ideas of Professor Papert. They equipped all of their fifth grade students with individual laptops. (Note: this was before school internet connections and use.) The students mainly worked with LogoWriter, a version of Logo that combined the programming environment with a word processor. Observers were impressed when they saw the girls deeply engaged in developing projects, such as designing their own games, and discussing both design and their strategies for analyzing their thinking as they debugged their programs. People involved in this initial implementation, including Bruce Dixon, then owner of Computelec, the major distributor of hardware and educational software in Australia and New Zealand, began to work with other schools around Australia, bringing to them the idea of 1-to-1 idea. Visitors flocked to MLC and, within a few years, 80 schools in Australia had implemented 1-to-1.
+In the mid 1990's, Microsoft, having observed the effectiveness of these 1-to-1 schools in creating powerful learning environments, wanted to bring the idea to North America. Microsoft invited Mr. Dixon, who by this time had sold his company in order to promote the idea of 1-to-1, to the US to lead a series of events under the Microsoft Anytime Anywhere Learning Initiative (anytime anywhere learning being a phrase coined by Mr. Dixon). Several large conferences were held and a number of schools realized the potential of 1-to-1, including the Cincinnati Country Day School in Ohio, led by Charles Clark, as well as public schools in Fresno, CA, a district led by Walter Buster. They were some of the first schools to implement 1-to-1 in North America.