Chief Technology Officer David Bortz and Jeff Hall (Coordinator of Instructional Technology, Art Dept. Chair, and art teacher) spearheaded efforts to pilot a one-to-one laptop program at MLWGS in the 2017-18 school year. Mr. Bortz and Mr. Hall screened, selected, and distributed laptops to 45 students at the end of summer. There are three different kinds of laptops in the pilot program, the goal being to assess which may best meet instructional needs. The pilot program is also designed to assess how best to move toward the goal of providing equitable access to computer hardware across the entire student body.
The Governor’s School Foundation helped enhance the pilot program by purchasing 10 Kajeet SmartSpots and associated service for the year. The small, portable SmartSpots provide wireless internet access for ten students in the one-to-one program, allowing Mr. Bortz and Mr. Hall to assess the effectiveness of these devices for use by students who might not otherwise have reliable internet outside of school. We look forward to hearing their findings as the school year progresses and are, as always, happy to be a part of efforts like these to make Maggie Walker an even more exceptional place for students and to equip those students to engage in all the many opportunities the school has to offer.
Contribute to the 2017-18 Annual Fund to help us fund enhancement grants like these.