The 1,600 students inside Pattonville High School are all given a MacBook Air to use for educational purposes. Because of this, they are also familiar with the iLearn Service Center which ensures those computers are kept in working order.

For technological-savvy students, there is even a credited class that’s offered for those wanting to help others with their laptop issues.

Educators outside of Pattonville’s walls are intrigued by the opportunities that the 1-to-1 program entails and had an opportunity to learn about its successes during METC in St. Charles.

On Wednesday, Pattonville’s teacher and iLearn director Travis Harder and assistant principal Jon Fitzgerald enlightened other educators as to just how the iLearn Service Center formed.

“The hardest part was figuring out the logistics of it,” Fitzgerald said. “We basically worked on it over the course of a year ever since we had the iLearn Service Center. All of it was very student-driven, the students wanted to do it and we had to make it happen.”

When thinking of making the course a credited one, the obvious question was who would be the instructor. The school couldn’t be happier with their selection of Harder

“A lot of the credit for the success of this has to go to Mr. Harder,” district technology specialist Greg Southard said. “The trick was to find someone with the right balance of technology skills and teacher skills. And he’s taken the ball and ran with it.”

Harder said that to him, iLearn is about much more than just the technology.

“I love our program, but for me it’s the kids. I love working with the kids.”

One of his concerns is how quickly the class is growing, as he believes that the class is best suited for 5 to 8 students per section.

“Overall, we have about 55 to 60 enrolled in the program,” Harder said.

He said that iLearn has changed the way that students learn.

“A student gets a fresh look at something, it’s not just another worksheet for them.”