DOBSON — The Surry County Schools’ 1:1 laptop initiative is once again in full swing as all 1,400 seventh- and eighth-grade students have received computers.

When the program started last year with seventh graders receiving laptops, the county board of education wanted all of the students to have laptops in hand by the end of 2009. That goal was met and students had the rest of the year to get used to integrating them into day-to-day lessons.

This year, however, administrators were determined to get them to students as soon as possible. Seventh and eighth graders began receiving laptops during open house sessions at some middle schools with the last group receiving them Tuesday night.

“The administrators felt that they wanted to start with instruction using the laptops as early as possible. It has made a difference in the way we do business so it was logical to begin early in the year. We did not want the students to have to wait to have the access and the opportunity to extend their learning with the laptops,” said Dr. Terri Mosley, assistant superintendent.

Seventh-grade teachers have the advantage of having worked with the computers last year and so are able to help get the new group of seventh-grade students rolling. Last year’s seventh graders are in turn able to help incorporate the computers into their eighth-grade classrooms.

“They love the computers. They take care of them. They ask about using them every day,” said Christine Kidd, eighth-grade language arts teacher at Pilot Mountain Middle School. “This is such a technological group. They’re very tech savvy. What they can do on the computers is absolutely amazing.”

Having students who have already spent a great deal of time using the laptops in class has helped the eighth-grade teachers become more accustomed to incorporating them as well. The students are able to help the teachers troubleshoot with the technology as well as help fellow students who may have a question.

“I do sometimes feel at a disadvantage,” said Kidd of the fact that eighth-grade teachers have had training sessions but are using the computers in class daily for the first time. “But with these students, if my SmartBoard isn’t working, I can look at a student and ask them to help me. The same thing if a kid doesn’t know how to copy and paste something, they can turn to another student for help. I know they know more than I do.”

Kidd said she thinks the teachers are as excited as the students to incorporate the laptops into lesson plans. However, they have had to do some work to make sure technology has become a larger part of their days.

“We’ve seen improvement in the comfort level of teachers particularly the seventh-grade teachers as they had them last year,” said Mosley. “The eighth-grade teachers have been working with the laptop carts for a year and have had more time to prepare for the process so they are prepared for the implementation.

“Parts of the lesson plans I’ve had to change completely, but it’s been for the better. It’s just another tool we have that’s an amazing enhancer to what you’re doing,” she said. “The teachers are definitely excited.”

The computers have allowed teachers to cover more material in class in a faster period of time. Kidd used an example of using the computer in language arts to do research on the setting of a story or on the author. She said she can assign each row of students to research a different topic and then present to the others at the end of the class.

“Now they’ve learned in one class period what might before have taken a week,” she said.

Teachers will continue to have professional development sessions throughout the year in collaboration with the Friday Institute and Learn NC as well as with the NC Readiness Initiative with Golden LEAF Foundation.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.