109 Moves Toward One Student One Computer

If things go the way Deerfield Public Schools District 109 hopes, every student will have his or her own electronic device to use when the 2014 term begins.

Reacting positively to an overwhelming response from teachers who had the opportunity to apply for $180,000 in grant money as part of a pilot program, the District 109 Board of Education approved $250,000 for the effort Monday to accommodate all 31 proposals covering 43 teachers. The initial idea would have funded 25.

“This will change the way our teachers teach and our students learn,” District 109 Communications Director Cathy Kedjidjian said. “This is a pilot program and we hope to be one on one at the start of the 2014 school year.”

Chromebooks, a web based laptop computer, will be given to each student in third through eighth grades to use. Children in kindergarten through second grade will be using an I-Pad instead.

Outside experts from other school districts reviewed all 31 proposals and each one was deemed worthy of a grant, according to Assistant Superintendent for Learning Jeff Zoul.

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