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Steve Rush was refining to his school. St. Andrew's College. but the fl" mwctor could have been referring to any (me of three schools in York Ream. Slip into a dammom m the Aurora pnvale school. Augustine High School in Ulfionville or Sir William Mulock Secondary in Ncmuasket fun a flimpw of the future. No. they're not connected by tuna-sensors to a giubal brain bank. but what students are doing the stuff of science fiction for their parents Before they Ieaw for school. they power up devims. pack knapsack not with textbooks but laptops. start cm not with the click ofa pen but the click of a mouse, These smtlents ‘atr bioneers in digital lean:- ing; their questbm for edu- cators about what else lies aheadâ€" for students and teachers ~â€" and who will pay for“ all. ‘ll's expensive but wunh it." Heather Pilmeg son. Tayint, is in 19. '1! would be- great If all schools could do this” says the Markham mom who appreciate: Unwayloosepapersamorgammdmafimml hinder and students can kcyhmnd 0': write with a swim 'I can't imagine him going back to writ- ing on papct. It would be too archaic.” A! St. Andrew's, students [PHI laptops from the schtml for about $21!!) a year. which Duvets 'replawmem. wftwan: and technical suppnn. years. the unit is replaced. Taykulefihisdeviéeontheflooronedayand his father accidentally broke it. Another time. he {0130! it at schod. What could have been expensive mistakes were remedied thanks to the mplaccnwnt plan {although the ahml does have a “truce-strikes" polity). A similar cmcnmem has been under way at Mgusu'ne. where 108 students are cnmlled in the high-demand laptOp learning pmgram. SIT William Mldtwkdn a middle-dag com- munity in is something dif- ferent. The school began a blended learning programlhis year mmGradt-anxienls. requir- ing them to buy [their own ponable computers â€"- any make. any price. For (hos: who can't aflond it. the school purchased I!) netbooks with l4 used by students. the rest Idaned to thin: whm‘c devices wquin- Irpair. l?.petmadcdhetpamts tolethettakepan.“ltddmemomworldis evolving and if we don't keep up. we could fall behind for - andlhey Wm.“ Augustine students use $2.400 laptops. purchascdbypammSMwmisabmsarypm wmwmmmm‘ ltwnmafly. it's hoped the énme school will learn 1th My It's a unique "‘pmof of concept” school that WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? BY KIM IARZOUOR :ar e have seen the future and the future is good." :uurfil‘yrmg mm The am. used every day. m almost every clam.~ and students, believe Ihcyh- impmving ac . Mr. is more engagement of learners. digital literacy. collaboration between teachers and students. plus fewer behavioural problems _ "It‘s a phenomenal environment. I‘ve been aprincipalfoer yearsandthoudttitwwld be messy. but it's been amanngy smooth Teachers are so impressed. they're trans- ferring metrowncltfldrentoWflllarnMflodL These three schools represent the first waveinwtutmanyarepredtcrmgwfllhea technology tsummr. "\‘Veare'tnaumeofsuchmomtous tedmologlcal. cultural. economic and social mange." says author and W University profess)erme ‘1hebestwecan doaseducators'tstohelpomhdsbepre- pared for theirfuture ~~ not for our past.“ Technology can be a wonderland or a wasteland.‘ Some teachers find keeping up with new technology a somch in an already overk>ad~ ed workday. Some fear computers became at classroom management chdlenges As one. teacher ‘You ahnost have to have two lesson plans: one. for when ll works; another for when you hunge it up and you have to go back to the. old-fasluoned way." Others worry technology could squeeze them out of jobs â€"â€" some murses tn Miami. for example. are taught using computers in a clusmom with no teacher. MS! a facilitator the board - and educators elsewhere ~s-â€" am- watching closely, so fin. princxpal Joseph Ram says he‘s pleased. Mr. Ram says his school's experience with chapa. generic devices shows funding mynmbCasbigahunfloasmmc-fem. Some students use nahoob bought for $200 on GAZlNG INTO THE FUTURE; filmmakde studentat lembe “(SchoolinKeswiCLholdsmiPod~andhiscdmdomlfutuie~inhishands Shemnsfogadnmticmhmldfigofhm students an- taught. teachers and pmgams funded. A swarm am on how today's GNUNH are learning so new ways. conuscnuc GEN -Z "eBay. ' Or he sugesfls schools [could purchase the devices and students could pay forlth in instalments. hidUstry is also stopping in. Best Buy. for mmple. gem» schools 3250.000 in wumfitmcsmisywanddweducauon ministry IS watching wands, loo: some expect While. digitalizing the classroom raises ques- tions about cost and accessihlity. Catherine Fife. president of Ontario Public School Asmcnauon. more are more important Issues to solve. The pmvmoe needs a dear vision of the new dassrtwm and how mothers can be trained: got to stop chasing after softwan‘ and hardware." As one teacher ‘Ybu ahnost have [0 have two lesson plans; one for when ll works; anothct for when yuu hunge it up and you have to go back to the aid-fasluoned way." Others worry technology could squecu- them out of jobs â€"- some mum m Miami. for example. an: taught using computers in a clam with no teacher. just a facilitamr who dcds with technical ptoblenm But téadlets who have tasted the electronic elixir are inundated with the idca of a p‘mfes‘ sim‘ in transition. A: St. Augustine. teachers swann to ather- hours classes w loam fist-century methods. principal Bernie Smith. mthc D MIJSJAIH: Itmodmnonto theeâ€"revolunon D M121. M2: 5m use handhelds so (has 0 ME”, M3: Mk pflmary students spend men daysmiPadsmdiPods D '8.th schools toss papery? Vidfm D FEIJIJIITS: kdmobgy hows speaaled students I D “3.19,?III6: (meswflhaflmqm p tannin: maupmmzm filmbchl? . But getting teachers up to speed will Inquire more than traditional one-day work. shops, says Ron ()Wston. York Uniwmty's dimm of the Institute for Research on Loam â€" mchdmmyga‘w Rm! dassmom impact only occurs with long-term training. un-the-joh, online and face-toâ€"face. Teachers in Multxtk's blended learning pmgram have a new spring in their step, saw lhm'r principal. I l’mfessor Ben lcvin of the ()mano Insu- mtc for Smdfies in Education. cautions tech skills alone won't load to successtul Club‘s.» rooms: “Good teaching Is good {caching . . Whethct (he il’hone is on or nm 15 lrrck'x' ls 'runaxtably ahficm" fmm dassn‘mms m the worid‘s best-pelforming school iy'slm‘nh. which place their efforts primarily rm pod-er gngical practice. he says. “I have this debate With myself all thy tune." says Mark Molnick. toadwr a: M In h memo: at Marim'llc Secondary School “Technology can be a municfland m .x wasteland. I ebb and fluw bdwron hatmgu and seeing haw it «mucus with kxix A Int 0! tinxzs the way it's used is gimmicky. nu! sound pechigtgy.” But it's he says. "I lhmk pmplv an- underestlmatmg how big It's going to gm " "You cannot stop the fact that kids and adultsng In the 21M cmtury." dun-m MI. Ravesi. Aftm‘ 36 years in Mummm. hols nun-1mm! the mmsftmlamm of Mulm‘k Secondary w.“ the right thing In gin. "We'n‘ hmmg (he Haul With this one. WER- exploring new temmn and we, don't know what's owl the next hill‘ but it‘s a gm! journey." ' Andreas Weieher. education unalwt fur the Organization for fronomic (hâ€"opcm- uon and lkvchpmcm. agrees lochnntogy cm. It's simply not the case that m-hnnlogx makes leswns imeresting.’ VIM myorkrrgnonxom for move stones THE SERIES