 
|
|||||||||||||
              
|
Back to School 2001: All digital, all the time Quaker Valley students to receive laptops, other computer benefits Monday, September 03, 2001 By Eleanor Chute, Post-Gazette Education Writer
Quaker Valley School District will begin a school year tomorrow that promises laptops for all teachers and students in third through 12th grades, free access at home to the district's computer network, and other technical wonders.
This is the world of the digital school district.
Last spring, Quaker Valley and two other districts -- Spring Cove in Blair County and Carlisle Area in Cumberland County -- were named as the state's first digital school districts.
The state selected the districts in February, but they didn't receive any money until last month. The state has given each $500,000 so far and will provide the rest of the $2 million promised for the last school year by November, according to Jodie Daubert, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education. No determination has been made for future years.
Each district has a different approach to becoming digital, but all have been working through the summer to develop programs that are to become models for improving education, not just ways to add glitz.
Quaker Valley's approach is built on a wireless network that was installed in all four of its school buildings during the summer. Last week, all teachers received laptops, the Apple Titantium PowerBook G4 at what the district billed as "boot camp." These replace the desktop computers that each teacher had in their classrooms.
Later this month, students -- starting with seniors along with students in computer-oriented classes -- will begin receiving their laptops. Then, technicians will visit the students' homes to install a high-speed, cable Internet connection and wireless equipment.
Parents will have to show proof of homeowners insurance or buy school district insurance at $5.50 a month for their child to receive a computer. For low-income children, the district will cover all or part of the insurance costs.
While parents will have a password, the laptop is intended for school purposes, not keeping home financial records or doing other tasks. No other software can be added.
All Internet access provided through the school district goes through a "filter" designed to keep computer users out of pornographic sites.
The student laptops --Apple iBooks -- will be distributed in small groups at training sessions scheduled with students and parents. The distribution likely will take a semester or more.
After the high school, the next group of laptops will go to third-graders because they take the district's first benchmark course in technology. The district then will move up through the elementary school and into the middle school.
"We want to do it as fast as we can, but we want to do it in a deliberate manner [so] in case there's a problem, we can pull back," said Joe Marrone, director of administrative services.
Marrone said his main goal "is first, do no harm. That is, we have to continually give a high-quality education as we infuse this, making sure that we keep our standards and keep moving forward so we don't regress as we implement this."
Quaker Valley's theme this year is "Stick Your Neck Out" -- meaning, said Superintendent Gerard Longo, that teachers should take risks and take advantage of both the equipment and training possibilities.
"Professionally, I want them to try some things they might not ordinarily try," said Longo.
At last week's training session in the high school library, teachers received their laptops and practiced on them, including checking e-mail without any visible connections in the library. When technology teacher Dan Taormina, who was leading the class, declared a break, teachers were so absorbed that few even got out of their seats.
Because the teachers already had desktop computers, most aren't new to the computer age. But they could see new possibilities with the laptops.
Teacher Bob Hague, a 23-year veteran who teaches history and government, said he envisions his class all being on their laptops at the same time, looking at newspaper stories on the Internet or analyzing political cartoons. The class can look at the Web-based materials provided by textbook publishers as well.
"I love current events, especially in civics, but it's really hard if they don't watch TV or read a newspaper. Now there's no excuse," he said.
Tom Liberty, who is head football coach and entering his seventh year as a health and physical education teacher, is eager to see what the laptops will make possible.
He already uses a computer to prepare his practice and lesson plans, develop individual fitness plans for students, e-mail colleagues and parents and keep player statistics that can be quickly shipped to recruiters.
"I love my computer. I don't know what I'd do without it,' said Liberty.
The training Quaker Valley is providing is called "out of the box." The recipient takes the laptop and its accessories out of the original box.
But, actually, the district tech workers took the laptops out of the box first to get them ready.
The laptops are loaded with a wide array of software -- including grade books, attendance records, word processing and movie making --and security features.
The district has worked to develop a security system, but Marrone said that ethics -- which will be taught to all students -- are "paramount."
The system is supposed to detect any tampering, and anyone who tries to break into it will have to pay for any damages, Marrone said.
While the district has the capability to see what anyone is doing on the computer, Marrone said, "We're going to be watching for security violations, but we're not going to be sitting there watching all the things they do ... there has to be some level of trust."
One item in the digital school plan is the Quaker Valley backpack -- the QVePack -- to hold the equipment. A group of students helped design the pack over the summer, but the finished product hasn't come in yet.
Teachers and students will not receive printers, but there are print stations -- some just for teachers to print secure work such as tests -- in the school.
In an effort to cut down on paper usage, term papers, for example, can be sent electronically to teachers.
Over the summer, the district made some changes in its digital school plan.
The district had considered purchasing eBooks --electronic devices about the size of a paperback that can be updated with the latest information.
But Marrone said the district decided against eBooks because the laptops now have eBook software as well as calendars and e-mail and have clearer screens.
The district also has considered providing personal digital assistants -- also known as hand-held computers or Palm Pilots -- but found that students use laptops more than PDAs. Marrone said the district will get the laptops going first and then might "infuse a few PDAs."
The two other digital school districts are larger than Quaker Valley, which has 1,950 students. Carlisle Area has about 5,000 students, and Spring Cove has about 2,100.
Tomorrow: Will your school district's teachers go on strike this year?
|
||||||||||||
