Lack of funding stalled bid to give all students, teachers digital devices

Question: Whatever happened to the Department of Education’s plans to provide laptops for all Hawaii public school students and teachers?

Answer: The department just completed the first year of its Access Learning pilot program, which provided eight schools with nearly 7,000 digital devices, and is in the process of reviewing the lessons learned to develop a statewide implementation plan.

But because the state Legislature did not provide additional funding for more laptops, tablets, training and support this year, the program will not be expanding beyond the original eight schools in the 2014-15 year.

In 2012, the Legislature appropriated $8.2 million for the purchase and use of digital devices in the 2013-2014 school year. Each student and teacher at the eight selected schools — Keaau Elementary, Pahoa Elementary, Mililani Mauka Elementary, Mililani Waena Elementary, Moanalua Middle School, Nanaikapono Elementary, and Nanakuli Intermediate and High School — received a laptop or tablet for use in the classroom.

"The eight schools that have participated in this pilot have been working very hard to think about this as more than just getting a device," said Stephanie Shipton, an institutional analyst for the DOE. "This is about changing the culture and the lifestyles in their schools; changing how they think about teaching and learning and the different types of tools they use for teaching and learning."

Students used the devices in various classes for assignments and virtual field trips, such as one Keaau Elementary took to the Honolulu Zoo.

Mililani Mauka Principal Abey Qureshi said he observed kindergarten students at his school using the devices to assess their reading ability.

According to a first-year report on the program, a majority of surveyed students reported that the laptops make schoolwork more interesting and better prepare them for the future. Surveyed teachers viewed the program as positive, saying the computers helped their own performances.

Access Learning participants are also trying to share the professional development opportunities and lessons they’ve learned with schools that are outside the program, Shipton said.

Qureshi said: "There’s a lot of other schools that are not necessarily part of the pilot project that are very aggressively looking at ways to continue to integrate, get more digital learning into the fabric of their learning cultures.

"So I really see the Access Learning program, it’s really serving as a catalyst to inspire other schools and other leaders to kind of make this reality of their schools regardless of the type of support they’re getting from outside the schools."

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This update was written by Noelle Fujii. Suggest a topic for "Whatever Happened To…" by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.