While the campus feels empty without students, we are working hard on launching in just a few weeks the Curricular Technology Initiative, which will bring the power of tablet computing into Williston’s classrooms. The CTI will provide students and faculty with individual access to academic software, a powerful tablet device, increased support and training, and improved and expanded high-speed wireless network access.

This is the logical next step in Williston’s use of computers and information technology, as it extends our Middle School pilot tablet program to all students and faculty. Learning from our two years of experience in the Middle School, we will continue to grow the school’s use of campus-wide email, cloud storage for students, and online learning management systems and portals to support learning, organization, and communication.

Considering the goals of the CTI and which device would provide the greatest opportunity for integration in all subjects, we ultimately selected the Microsoft Surface Pro. This hybrid tablet computer has the size and shape of a tablet and the computing power of a full-sized laptop, which means that it will be the only computing device students need at Williston. It also features a stylus and digital ink capability, making it one of the most versatile devices on the market and extending its usefulness in subjects that traditionally rely on paper and pencil, like math, science, and the arts.

After making Microsoft aware of our decision we are pleased to announce that they have recognized our initiative by naming Williston as one of its Innovative Schools. We are proud of this distinction and are eager to continue our collaboration with Microsoft throughout the 2013-14 school year.

An additional benefit of the Surface Pro is that it will enable more widespread use of digital textbooks.  Every department has spent time researching the most efficient and cost-effective textbook option and while not all of our textbooks this year will be digital, we will see a big shift from traditional textbooks in many courses.  The 2013-14 booklist is now posted on WillyNet (and under Forms and Documents for Middle School families) and you can see how many digital texts will be utilized school-wide.

Currently we are busy preparing the machines for deployment, and we will continue to communicate with families as more information becomes available. During the opening of school in September, each student will be issued a Microsoft Surface Pro for their personal academic use.

We are all excited about this program, and we hope that you are, too. Here is a link to some frequently asked questions about the program. If you have any questions that aren’t answered there, feel free to give our technology office a call at (413) 529-3338.

Sincerely,
Andrew Shelffo, Ph.D.
Chief Information Officer