How Tablet PCs Can Enhance High School Teacher Practice

Rob Mancabelli, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, rmancabe@hcrhs.k12.nj.us

Can putting tablet PCs in the hands of qualified teachers significantly improve their practice? That’s the question Hunterdon Central School District set out to answer when a pilot cohort of 33 teachers developed and tested a new technology model focused on a tablet PC, supported by wireless projectors, wireless connectivity and an online learning management system. This paper describes the pilot and provides an overview of the research that has resulted in an expansion of the model to more than 200 teachers. Among the results reported by teacher participants were greater flexibility in classroom instruction, more student engagement, increased productivity, better organization and a feeling of empowerment. At least four critical factors contributed to the pilot’s success. First, the District used a shared decision-making process that actively involved the teachers and placed their ideas front and center. Second, the pilot included a dynamic professional development program, developed by teachers, for teachers, that included both classes during the summer and monthly meetings during the school year. Third, the District provided teachers with a structured program of real-time technical support that ensured very little “down-time” in and out of the classroom. Lastly, the District used a systematic approach to planning that included elements of both long-range strategic planning and day-to-day project management.