LIFE Coordinator Attends Focus Group Meeting at Apple, Inc. Headquarters July 14th., 2006

Melissa Tothero, right, works with Mary Fran Breiling of San Jose State at the meeting.

Melissa Tothero, the LTC’s coordinator for the Laptop Initiative for Future Educators (LIFE), attended a meeting June 28-29 at the Cupertino, California headquarters of Apple, Inc. that brought together fourteen leaders of one-to-one technology initiatives at higher education institutions. The focus group, which included representatives from Georgia College, San Jose State University, Pennsylvania State University, Ball State University, and the University of Auckland, New Zealand, compared their experiences and discussed the best way to implement one-to-one initiatives, which are programs that equip each student with their own technology, usually a laptop computer or handheld device. Their programs are in various stages, from pilot project or about to launch implementation, to already underway. The LIFE program here at the College of Education is the longest running program that was represented at the meeting.

Melissa, fourth from right, and the rest of the meeting participants in front of Apple's Cupertino headquarters.

The group discussed best strategies for developing and managing successful one-to-one initiatives, and the impact these programs can have on teaching and learning. They concluded that the effective use of technology allows students to be more productive, fosters collaboration and the development of learning communities, and promotes learning on a level that would not otherwise be possible.

The group also discussed the future of technology in education and what tomorrow’s classroom might be like. Says Melissa, “Students more and more now are ‘digital natives’ who have grown up using technology, and their classroom needs are very different from those of earlier students. It’s important for us to envision this new classroom, so that we can model it for the educators we train who will be teaching in these new environments.”

One current trend that Melissa is excited about is podcasting. Lectures can be prerecorded and listened to in advance, freeing class time for collaborative work, debate, or in-depth follow-up with the professor.
At the meeting’s conclusion, the participants were asked what qualities they had that led them to their leadership roles in technology initiatives. They realized they were all optimistic, persistent in the face of obstacles, and passionate about the ability of technology to transform education.

Melissa was inspired by the gathering and gratified to share ideas and concerns with others in similar positions. The group plans to meet again at professional conferences and will perhaps conduct panel presentations on one-to-one initiatives.

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator