1 TO 1 COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION

Xavier High School

General Program Description

Overview of the Document

This contents of this document are taken mostly from the Apple website
(http://www.apple.com/), Apple being the company that coined the term 1 to 1.
However, the content has been adjusted to fit Xavier School’s context, including its
needs and resources.

Rationale
“A 1 to 1 program is about creating a 21st century learning environment that
engages students. Students learn better when they are engaged, and research on
what engages today’s students points to technology. 1 to 1 learning programs
match how today’s students interact and learn” (Apple Inc., 2007).

“Today’s learners have grown up in a digital world with cell phones, computers,
video entertainment, iPod technology, and the Internet. They are
hypercommunicators, goals planners, multitaskers, expert technologists, and active
learners. Yet, students experience a huge disconnect every day when they walk into
a classroom, a classroom where pencil, paper, lecture, textbook, review, and test
are still the norm. Engaging these students and making education relevant once
again is critical” (Apple Inc., 2007).

“A recent article in Time Magazine examines what and how pre-K to 12 schools
must teach in order to better prepare students to thrive in the global economy.
Schools already taking on the challenge of rethinking teaching and learning in the
21st century are highlighted” (Apple Inc., 2007).

“Research studies show that students with higher levels of access to technology are
more motivated in school and develop important skills that prepare them to
succeed in the 21st century. These quantitative and qualitative research reports
show that students with routine access to computers score higher in writing
assessments, demonstrate better analytical skills, collaborate more, and have lower
absenteeism and dropout rates” (Apple Inc., 2007).

Goals and Objectives

The high school’s Philosophy of Education states, “Xavier High School commits to
deliver quality educational experience that will equip students to face
challenges in life. Its goal is to design learning experiences that facilitate
development of skills, competencies, and attitudes. It provides educational
opportunities that foster academic achievement, spiritual growth, social
competence, personal productivity, computer literacy, and lifelong learning”
(Xavier High School, 2006, pp. 5-6, boldface mine)

In line with this philosophy and the ever-advancing state of technology, Xavier High
School’s 1 to 1 program aims to:
• equip students with the knowledge of and familiarity with computers that will
aid them in their college work
• promote student-centeredness in teaching
• improve students’ attitude to learning and motivation to learn
• provide teachers with an easy means of testing students and recording
scores
• instill responsibility and discipline in students, most especially in the way
they deal with information technology

Program
According to Apple Inc., “a 1 to 1 learning program is defined as an environment
where students and teachers have 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access to a
notebook computer as well as digital content, educational software, and digital
authoring tools” (Apple Inc., 2007).

However, in consideration of the context of Xavier High School, Xavier School’s 1 to

1 learning program is defined as learning where students are allowed to access
computers during class.

Furthermore, while 1 to 1 is a term coined by Apple Inc., 1 to 1 as practiced in

Xavier School includes the use of personal computers and programs as well as Mac
units and programs.

There are two ways by which teachers can participate in the 1 to 1 program:

As Committed Participants
Committed participants are teachers whose classes (not necessarily the classes of
all sections they handle) will be permanently scheduled in a computer laboratory.
However, committed teachers are not required to conduct classes in the computer
laboratory every day; this is in recognition of the fact that there are some lessons
better suited to traditional classroom learning.

As Occasional Participants
Occasional participants are teachers who occasionally use the computer facilities
whenever they feel they have a lesson for which these facilities will be useful.

Furthermore, while the methodologies employed in 1 to 1 classes are expectedly

different from their regular counterparts, the curriculum for both is the same. In the
same light, while the evaluation methods may be different for both, the evaluation
content remains the same.

Assessment
The success of the 1 to 1 program is measured through several means:
• student evaluations of the program
• teacher evaluations of the program
• administrators’ observations of 1 to 1 classes

1 to 1 classes are best observed using the indicators of an ideal 1 to 1 class

included in the 1 to 1 Computer-Based Instruction Observation Form, not all
indicators though, being expected in each 1 to 1 class.

However, there are also informal means by which the program can be evaluated
such as focused discussions and informal dialogues with both 1 to 1 program
teacher and student participants.

Sources

Apple Inc. (2007). Education. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from

http://www.apple.com/education/

Xavier High School. (2006). Student handbook. Philippines: Author.