The start of next year will mark the beginning of Orono’s Personalized Learning for Unlimited Success (PLUS) program. According to Orono School’s website, the new program will bring digital technology to Orono students from Kindergarten all the way through 9th grade within the first year.

Orono schools announced that Schumann Elementary school students will all receive tablet devices, and students at Orono Intermediate School will receive Chromebooks for the 2015 – 2016 school year. These devices will be school owned, and students will be required to keep them at school.

This new program requires that students in grades 6-9 purchase or lease laptops. These personal device will need a keyboard for both in-class and out of class use. For students who are unable or do not wish to purchase devices the school will provide laptops for the students to lease at no charge and an optional insurance will also be available. The school is currently working out a deal with Best Buy to provide student discounts on computers for those who wish to purchase their own.

“Students learn differently today. We need to continue to evolve so that we continue to stay relevant, we continue to stay distinctive, so that we’re able to make a difference in students’ lives and prepare them for the real world,” said Steven Weiss, a parent who served on the Digital Learning Task Force as quoted in Orono PLUS boosts personalized instruction.

A similar program to PLUS, called eLearning2, was launched in the Edina school district. eLearning2 is a program that provides and requires Edina students have a form of technology to enhance their school learning.  

“The students take ownership of their learning better. It’s the shared learning, they’re motivated to learn more because I think they have that tool in front of them and also they can dig as deep as they want on any subject,” said Edina teacher Dean Dahl on eLearning2 in a video released by Edina schools.

The device for the Orono PLUS program does have some requirements for devices in grades 6-9. If students choose to come with their own technology, they must ensure that it meets the need of the classroom. During the 2016 – 2017 school year, these requirements and the PLUS program will extend to grades 6-12.

“Our requirement is that secondary students have a keyboard-based device.  If purchasing a tablet that otherwise meet the requirements, a student must have an external keyboard, not just the on-screen option.  Our minimum screen size is 7″ but we recommend at least a 10″ screen,” Orono Technology Integration Coordinator Penny Pease  said.

The program will be new to Orono, a group was assembled to research its effectiveness and the Orono PTO is also very supportive of the new program. The new computers will be help both teachers and students.

Teachers attend workshops on April 5, 2015 to prepare them for the coming technology, and to aid them in using it. “Teachers will take advantage of every student having a device in a variety of ways, but overall I would say that they will utilize the tools students have whenever it meets their instructional objectives to do so,” said Pease.

The PLUS program is aimed to help Orono Schools progress with the digital age, and by giving students the technology, the school hopes it will achieve just that.