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 When starting a one-to-one program, schools find that attention to logistics is vital.
Schools maintaining an active and living list of logistical items are less likely to be blindsided by unexpected issues. This list should be continually reviewed by the technology director and the team overseeing the implementation, and should be fully funded. Many schools find that upping their initial budget by 20% will help with cost overruns.
The following is a list of logistical and infrastructure components to start you off:
- Network. Your network will need to be wireless, that’s a given. With several hundred or several thousand roaming mobile devices, you’ll have to pay serious attention to access points, switches, and security. Having a wireless survey/audit done before or during your implementation by a reputable systems integrator or vendor will help you find the areas where access points need to be installed, where interference can occur, and even where local wireless networks from residences or companies (possibly not secured) can spill over into your space.
- Electricity. As of right now, most laptops won’t last an entire day on a charge (hopefully this will change in the next 12 months or so.) This means that electricity for charging and logistical ways for charging are necessities. Some schools set up charging stations around the school with extra outlets and “home run” circuits (not shared with other electrical devices but run directly back to the main circuit.) Requiring all students to have a fully charged laptop can help but some won’t comply, and most laptops won’t make it through a full day if used consistently.
- Laptop/Tablet Cases. 24/7 and 1-to-1 means every student takes his or her laptop home. Frequently, damage happens during the trip from home to school and back. This is especially true when students sling their laptops into SUV already packed with hockey equipment and two golden retrievers. The case you choose makes a difference. At The Peck School where I was Head of Technology, we purchased metal hard-sided cases and had a local luggage store glue custom-fitted foam into each one. This meant only the laptop fit in the case with no wiggle room and with lots of shock absorption. Other schools use one of the well-designed “always on” cases that protect during the school day as well, and some opt for shoulder or backpack cases with lots of padding. The key is to minimize laptop movement in the case and to protect from jarring and dropping as much as possible. Just be sure to ask the vendor about damage warranties to the cases and to the laptops themselves, and ask for references from schools.
- Spares. If you want 1-to-1 to be an instructional given, teachers must face a roomful of students with working laptops or tablets. Having spare batteries, a/c adapters, and laptops or tablets along with a check-in/check-out procedure will ensure that real learning can happen without interruptions. Some schools order about three laptops for every 100 to use as spares.
- Support. Either an in-house or vendor based “break-fix” desk is a logistical necessity because you can be sure the computers will break or be broken at some point. If you can’t afford a fulltime technician, consider vendor repair options and ask about their turnaround. Will they provide shipping boxes and a guarantee of a quick repair or replacement?
- Insurance. Yes, the computers will be dropped, have soda poured on them, and be tripped over. This will happen whether the owners are children or adults. Insurance becomes important to reimburse the cost of repair or replacement. Smaller schools may opt for “self insurance” wherein regular money is held in an account for repairs not covered by warranties. Schools or districts will have to determine whether parents contribute to insurance, hold and fund the policies, or share or absorb deductibles. However, many schools have reported that once parental money is involved, ownership and responsibility for damage increases.
- Extended warranty. Most vendors will offer a three-year warranty for an extra cost for laptops or tablets but some offer four years. Ask your representative about the four-year plan as it’s not always publicized but sometimes is available. This is well worth the initial outlay and will generally cover the balance of your wear-and-tear as well as normal electronic problems.
- Hardware replacement. While not exactly a logistical issue, it is a budgetary consideration to determine your normal cycle of laptop or tablet replacement. Will you “trickle down” your laptops or tablets, giving them to different groups of students or teachers; take them out of service at the end of their normal life; or sell them to students or teachers? All have their pros and cons as the longer you hold onto old computers the more support they will require. Selling or giving away your old computers can be good for the environment but beware expectations – will those owning the hand-me-downs expect software and support?
Attention to logistics will pay off in a 1-to-1 program, in terms of true integration in your classrooms. When laptops or tablets are always working and available, teaching and learning with this empowering vehicle becomes the norm.
 Pamela Livingston is a technology educator and author of the best-selling book,"1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs That Work."
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