To arrange a visit with a 1:1Showcase Site, please contact the OTO office at 517.978.0006.
School: Sarah Banks Middle School
Location: 1760 Charms Road, Wixom, Michigan 48393
District: Walled Lake Consolidated School District
Grades: 6-8
Type of 1:1 Implementation: Blended BYOD and Laptop Carts
Walled Lake Consolidated School District was among the first public school districts in the nation to implement a one-to-one laptop initiative in 1999. Their Anytime Anywhere Learning (AAL) laptop program started in 1999 is a mix of an “opt-in” Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD) program, and district supplied laptops on carts.
Technology is part of the district's culture. This is a result of administrative leadership, a supportive School Board, innovative teachers, wise use of money, and a community that appreciates and expects technology use by children. Parents/caregivers who choose to enroll their children in the AAL laptop program in sixth grade purchase a district laptop package through a specified vendor. Parents/caregivers may also purchase a laptop on their own, as long as it meets or exceeds the district hardware and software requirements. Parents/caregivers who purchase a laptop other than the district laptop package, however, are responsible for installing, maintaining and troubleshooting any hardware and software issues that may arise with their child’s device.
Students who enter the program are grouped in classrooms where all students have access to a laptop for their sixth grade year, where they are taught the same curriculum as the students not in the program. The way the curriculum is taught, however, is different because of the continuous access to technology.
Beginning in 7th grade, classes are mixed with students who share the district laptops and those who bring their own. Each middle school teaching team has a set of wireless laptops on a cart to share. Therefore, all students, regardless of their inclusion in the laptop program, use laptops in the classroom on a regular basis.
Three years of university research found that children who have participated in the AAL program have experienced a notable increase in self-esteem, motivation, writing and editing skills, team building skills, and problem solving skills. The AAL Program received an Educational Excellence Award from Michigan Association of School Boards in May, 2002.
