When the district started the program at Laguna Beach High School in October, 65 percent of students there brought a device from home, Chief Technology Officer Mike Morrison said.
"From casual observation, I saw a lot of Chromebooks and Mac [laptops]," Morrison said.
Parents will receive a survey later this month to select the most appropriate option for their child.
IPads are better for movies and multimedia, while Chromebooks shine in writing and collaboration, but students will be able to complete all necessary assignments no matter the device, Morrison said.
Chromebooks begin at $200, while iPads cost more than $300, Morrison said.
TOW and El Morro each have roughly 32 to 36 Chromebooks set aside for fifth-graders, said Morrison, who added that the district won't need to purchase any additional ones. TOW has 123 fifth-graders and El Morro 107.
Morrison added that SchoolPower, an organization that raises funds for all four district schools, purchased most of the devices.
Teachers attended training on how to guide students through lessons using a computer or tablet and seem generally eager to integrate curriculum with technology.
Brian Kull, a fifth-grade teacher at Top of the World, anticipates his students will use the devices in multiple subjects.
"They are great tools to allow the students one more layer of collaboration on projects and assignments," Kull wrote in an email. "For example, using Google Docs, they can all collaborate on a presentation, edit it from multiple devices simultaneously, and work on it from any location. They are no longer confined to working on it from simply the classroom.
"They can also easily share their writing electronically and get real-time feedback from their peers before creating a final draft."
A benefit of the program is that teachers become more tech savvy too, TOW Principal Mike Conlon said.
"I'm excited," Conlon said. "This can transform instruction and align with the new [Common Core State] Standards and give students the skills they need for the workforce."
Students in school districts throughout California will take revamped standardized tests later this year that place a greater emphasis on reasoning.
The Laguna Beach Unified board of trustees approved the bring-your-own-device program before Morrison came on board last year.
As for Thurston Middle School, Morrison said he and school officials are discussing whether to roll out the program on that campus.
©2014 the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
