The Comprehensive 1:1 Solution that CTL Provided for Nevada Ready 21 (NR21) Addresses Digital Equity, from Urban Centers to even in the Remotest Corners of Rural Nevada to.
First year results from CTL’s partnership with Nevada Ready 21 (NR21) have been celebrated at the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) conference in San Antonio and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Houston. Additionally, CTL’s J5 Convertible Chromebook was voted “ISTE 2017 Best of Show” by Tech & Learning Magazine.
Putting together a statewide 1:1 program gave CTL the economies of scale needed to bring the same comprehensive 1:1 solution to a frontier school with 19 students that it brought to middle schools with over 1,700 students.
Implementing New Tech in the Classroom is no Easy Feat
The real heroes in the success of NR21 are the administrators and teachers who have been able to quickly adapt to new technology in the classroom and assist their students through the transition. The eagerness and readiness of these educators to continually increase and refine their Chromebook knowledge is a testament to their dedication to student success and digital equity.
According to Principal Dr. Toby Melver of Eleanor Lemaire Junior High School in Battle Mountain, “This is the first time in 20 years of education in Nevada where rural schools in Nevada were on an even playing field with larger schools and districts in the country. It gave us great hope to be able to put our best foot forward and be awarded this grant based on our merits and not the size of our district.”
The innovative Nevada Ready 21 program not only provides training and access to devices, it is also succeeding in increasing access to learning, especially for diverse students in rural communities. In one middle school, the Digital Learning Coach was able to show a teacher how to use Google Translate to provide access to her lessons for a Spanish-speaking student. This process was replicated twice in the next two weeks for simplified Chinese- and Farsi-speaking students.
One of the most challenging situations that schools face is helping all students feel included in the learning community. According to Daphne DeLeon, former Nevada Ready 21 Program Director, “The ability to differentiate learning on the same device for every student allows students in special populations to feel like they are a part of the student community. At one site visit, we heard that special education students loved getting on the bus with their Chromebook because they felt just like other students.”
CTL’s History with NR-21
CTL was awarded the Nevada Ready 21 program contract in 2016. Since then, over 19,000 5th-8th graders have a Chromebook to use both in school and at home during the school year. All 23 NR21 schools also have WiFi access covering every instructional space on campus. A full report on the results shows remarkable progress.
CTL is proud to be involved in helping create a 1:1 program that reaches every student in the state of Nevada, including even the remotest areas. This ensures that all students regardless of income or proximity to urban areas have access to necessary skills for the digital age.
Contact CTL today to find out more about 1:1 solutions and how they can help your classroom or school district succeed in creating digital equity for your students.
