In the coming few years, Westford Academy will move to a One to One plan for students, which includes providing some sort of device for each student, such as a tablet or a laptop. This change will have a significant impact on the entire WA community, and overall will be a positive contribution to students’ educational experiences.

One of the most notable features that One to One brings students is the potential for increased connectivity with not only their own peers, but their teachers as well. If every student is provided a laptop, it will ensure their ability to contact teachers with questions about classwork or about the lesson from the day. In addition, it will allow students to become even more connected with one another, which increases the fluidity of group projects.

Another important benefit of going One to One is the benefit that it has inside of the classroom. If everyone has a laptop with them in class, there is no need for students to spend money on notebooks, and the school can spend less money on physical textbooks.

Instead, everyone can access the information that they need online, and can create documents on their computers when taking notes. In general, it is easier for people to type for extended periods of time than to write, and that allows for students to take more in depth notes for complicated topics that may require a lot more detail to cover.

Students may not even need to worry about taking notes anymore, or catching up on missed work when they are out sick for the day. With the access to technology, teachers can simply send all of the documents to their students through a program like Google Classroom, and remove all of the potential for missed lessons.

In additions, teachers will be able to use more programs and software online with their students, and provide access to these websites to them as well, which can enhance the learning process significantly.

One to One also provides the potential for the school to start moving towards a paperless system. While going completely paperless may be impossible, going One to One will absolutely cut down on the amount of paper that is used when distributing massive packets or worksheets to students. Instead, they will be able to fill out worksheets on their devices, and submit them electronically, which is better for the environment.

Additionally, the availability of devices will allow students to contribute to class in a much more positive way. With access to the internet always available, a student who may be confused about a topic or suddenly has a question can simply look up the answer online, and may even learn something else that can help contribute to the discussion and increase the learning experience for everyone else in the classroom.

Lastly, each student having a device promotes the idea of responsibility and helps them get ready for the future. When everyone has a powerful, yet fragile device that could potentially help them greatly in the classroom, they will be forced to take care of it and show that they have the responsibility to manage their own devices in a mature way. Most colleges use computers on a regular basis, and many actually require students to own their own laptop.

Moving to One to One at the high school level prepares students for their transition into college, and will help them get used to the types of interactions and teaching that they can expect in the next stage of their education.

In general, One to One is a step in the right direction for students and faculty both in and out of the classroom. The increased access to technology is a great benefit for students to have, and will certainly contribute to their learning potential not only at the high school level, but beyond that as well.