![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/05\/Adam-Redding-Lyndra-Forbes-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Adam")
<\/a>Sammy Mack \/ StateImpact<\/p>
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In this classroom, dirt on a keyboard is okay. The green and white computer is a rugged little machine from One Laptop Per Child, the organization best known for trying to put an inexpensive computer into the hands of every child in the developing world. Adam\u2019s cup of dirt is part of a lesson plan that involves researching plants on the laptop, reading a poem, and seeding a corn kernel in a cup.<\/p>\n
Welcome to the one-to-one classroom. One computer for every student.<\/p>\n
As Florida schools prepare for a state mandate that requires half of all learning materials to be digital by fall of 2015<\/a>, state policymakers are trying to figure out how to get an electronic tablet or laptop into the hands of every schoolchild.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that the only way we\u2019re going to achieve what they need to achieve in the state of Florida is we\u2019re going to have to have a one-to-one environment,\u201d says Gary Weidenhamer, director of educational technology for the School District of Palm Beach County.<\/p>\n Weidenhamer is also part of the Digital Instructional Materials Working Group, which advises the Florida Department of Education on classroom tech policies. The group\u2019s latest draft<\/a> recommends Florida move towards classrooms where every child is working from a digital device.<\/p>\n Research is mixed<\/a> on whether this model helps much with standardized test scores. But there is evidence<\/a> that on a large scale, it can encourage all sorts of learning and critical thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does facilitate differentiated instruction, and it allows the teacher to not necessarily be the sage on the stage,\u201d says Weidenhamer. \u201cBut it allows students to take control of their learning and learn more independently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n