1:1 device program in a K-12 public school: the influence of technology on teaching and learning

2015-05-05Widely available computer based technology permeates society and provides the populous access to a greater quantity of information on an ad lib basis as compared to the previous fifty years. At the completion of a K‐12 education, students are expected to both be fluent in digital content but also in the creation and evaluation of digitally mediated content. The purpose of this study is to describe the influence of technology on teaching and learning in a successful K‐12 public school that employs a 1:1 device program. Method: using a qualitative case study approach, this study describes the available digital technology, the cognate methods of instruction and the perceived impact on teaching and learning. Correlate outcomes include the contextual factors of leadership and school culture that support the implementation of the 1:1 device program. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Substitution ‐ Augmentation ‐ Modification ‐ Redefinition (SAMR) Model and Active Implementation leadership model (NIRN) provide philosophical frames used to organize and evaluate data. Results: this study found factors such as an innovative school culture, key leadership behaviors on the part of teachers and administrators and a technologically relevant instructional pedagogy were associated with the observable increase in student engagement joined to increased frequency of instructional activities defined by higher level Bloom's Skills. Conclusion: given key considerations that support a school culture of innovation, flexibility and responsibility, a 1:1 device program can transform instruction that is joined to high levels of student performance