Maine Education Commissioner Sue Gendron said the state has seen benefits in using the Apple notebooks in the middle schools; it wants to see those same benefits for high-school students.

"We have seen incredible success, with our middle schools showing increased student engagement and achievement with (Maine Learning Technology Initiative) in place, and we want to bring this same opportunity to our high schools," Gendron said in a statement. "This is not just about technology--it's about using the technology to support education."

When it opened its doors in 2006, Philadelphia's School of the Future (SOF) was touted as a high school that would revolutionize education: It would teach at-risk students critical 21st-century skills needed for college and the work force by emphasizing project-based learning, technology, and community involvement. But three years, three superintendents, four principals, and countless problems later, experts at a May 28 panel discussion hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) agreed: The Microsoft-inspired project has been a failure so far.

In 2001, the implementation of the nation's first state-wide one-to-one laptop program put Maine squarely on the instructional technology map. Governor Angus King's visionary initiative placed Apple iBooks into the hands of every 7th and 8th grade public school student, as well as their teachers. After six years, formative and cumulative research indicates the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) has significantly improved teaching and learning for Maine's middle level students both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Curriculum is going online and global. With computers, students have constant and immediate access to the world. Teachers can address teachable moments immediately, break down classroom walls and engage students in real-world learning.1 There's also the freedom to learn anytime, anywhere.

connectivism also shares in bringing to the forefront ideas of philosophers and theorists from previous generations. Much of what is unique is the particular combination and integration of ideas that reflect the broader societal and information-based trends.

And yet in 2005, the notion of a laptop for every student appears to be more controversial than ever. In fact, the proverbial laptop has hit the fan across the country. Shame on us!

Sugata Mitra talks about his Hole in the Wall project. Young kids in this project figured out how to use a PC on their own -- and then taught other kids. He asks, what else can children teach themselves?

In recent years a number of schools have trialled the use of notebook computers for students on a 1-to-1 basis.

The intention of this webpage is to provide links to research that investigates the value of notebook computers in education and curriculum strategies that make best use of them in the learning process.