West Liberty State University made news last week regarding their provision of a laptop for each incoming freshman. In today’s multi-disciplined, team-oriented, task-centric learning environment, a laptop is what a pencil and paper were in prior generations.

It’s important to note that technology doesn’t necessarily make kids smarter, but technology facilitates the kind of learning that is a requirement in today’s connected world.

Last year at the first Create WV Conference, we heard about the “High Tech High” School in Philadelphia. It’s a public school run by the Philadelphia School District with consulting and learning technology support from Microsoft. Every student is provided with a laptop, and there is no traditional “textbook” approach to learning. Students form small teams and work together to solve problems and complete projects. The school has been in operation for two years now.

Is it time for West Virginia to pilot our own “High Tech High” school to demonstrate how rural students could embrace 21st century learning methods? What can we learn from the handful of urban experiments that we could apply and modify for our small county/rural environments?