Several area school corporations already have initiated one-to-one technology in their districts, and in some cases are moving forward to the next level.
Tri-Creek Superintendent Debra Howe said the School Board made technology and project-based learning a priority several years ago.
In 2012, Lowell High School and Lowell Middle School began a one-to-one laptop program that has grown to encompass a take home program for more than 2,000 students in grades 6-12. Every student at Lowell High School and Lowell Middle School is issued a MacBook Air laptop to maximize opportunities for creativity and collaboration.
The Educational Technology Department also supports the growth of online and blended learning in the classroom in order to prepare students for their future where anywhere, anytime learning is the norm.
"Since implementation of the one-to one laptop initiative and adoption of the New Tech project-based instructional framework, the district has realized an increase in dual college credits, number of students engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and career and technical courses," she said.
She said the graduation rate has gone up 8 percentage points to 96 percent.
Howe said the 2015-16 school year will provide students the opportunity to take high school courses such as bio-medical, computer science, aerospace and digital media design.
Tri-Creek teachers are excited about the prospect and participated in training throughout the summer.
Bill Holland, a Lowell Middle School seventh-grade math teacher, said technology helps students see how what they learn connects with the real world.
"Our goal is to get them engaged in their own learning so they understand that everything has a purpose," he said.
Lowell High School junior Nathan Archer, 16, was one of half dozen students helping out in the technology department this summer with district director of educational technology Jay Blackmon. The teens formatted the computers and prepared them for the fall.
Purdue University North Central professor David Pratt said it's important to have a model or guideline as schools integrate the use of technology in the classroom.
"Technology has to be used to transform learning," he said. "As teachers integrate technology, they have to think of it as a substitution for the way things are currently being taught. Use technology to augment, modify or redesign what teachers do in the classroom."
Pratt said he likes the move to one-to-one technology because it gets away from "let's all go to the computer lab" -- something not necessarily connected to the classroom content. Pratt, who teaches education technology to education majors at PNC in Westville, said technology is now being seen as integral to the classroom.
East Chicago Superintendent Youssef Yomtoob and technology director Mary Jensen said curriculum will drive the use of technology.
"We had challenges in our one-to-one take-home program previously," Jensen said. "We are close to one-to-one in the high school. We have made sure that every student has access to a computer. We also have multiple computer labs in the building to augment instruction."
Munster Superintendent Jeff Hendrix said the district constantly researches and reviews new advances in technology, but like most school districts, there is not adequate funding available to pursue some of the new technologies.
"We piloted the bring-your-own devices this summer with success," he said. "We hope to incorporate this practice in the next two years."
Hobart Superintendent Peggy Buffington said the district will be one-to-one this school year, along with a new student information system.
In Crown Point, some parents say they are excited to see the the take-home tablet program expanding to the younger grades this fall. Teachers worked on accompanying curriculum last school year to integrate the use of the tablets with state standards. Some elementary-aged students will receive a tablet to take home.
Hebron Superintendent Nathan Kleefisch said when he became superintendent last fall, there was one-to-one technology in grades 8-12. This school year every students in middle and high school will have a laptop. Last year, students eighth-graders had Dell computers and the high school had new Chrome books.
"This year, we bought 200 new Chrome books and students in grade 7-12 will use them," he said. "The sixth-graders will get the Dell books. The purpose of this is so that students in grades 7-12 are acclimated to the same type of technology."
Porter Township Superintendent Stacey Schmidt said they are in the third year of the one-to-one initiative at Boone Grove High School, and will roll out a one-to-one initiative for grades 4-8 this month.
"We will roll out a device for each student in grades K-3 during the first semester," she said.
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