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Trent school district getting new laptops |
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Written by Thomas Watson
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Monday, 12 May 2008 |
The Trent Independent School District announced this past Thursday that beginning in the fall, all students in grades K-12 will begin receiving Apple laptop computers for study and homework.
Grades K-2 will keep their computers in the classroom, while grades 3-12 will be able to take them home to help with classwork.
The school district held a meeting Thursday for parents to get more information from Apple representatives regarding the upcoming plan.
Superintendent Greg Priddy praised the project. “All the data we have seen so far indicates that test scores have been raised in schools where the students have access to computers, especially laptops,” he said.
“The schools we have visited with, they all report a much higher interest in school and better grades. This introduction to new technology at an early age will also benefit them very much.”
The Trent school building is already equipped for wireless connectivity between the computers and the Internet, so teachers will be able to send information directly to students’ laptops.
This will allow teachers to immediately give out assignments, homework, review sheets, and tests much easier than before, without waiting to make extra copies or change them for corrections.
Priddy also discussed the care and maintenance of the laptops. “Of course, parents will have to sign agreements to properly use and maintain the laptops,” he said. “It will be just like issuing a textbook, only its a $1,000 textbook. We will take all necessary precautions to make sure they’re being taken care of.”
Priddy also said that to the best of his knowledge, Trent ISD is the only district within Texas that is going K-12 with Apple. He said other schools have done agreements for 6-12 or other grades, but none of them have started as young as kindergarten.
In addition, Priddy said that all the school really lacks in getting the program ready is the necessary training for students, parents, and teachers. There are 189 students currently in attendance and the school will receive 200 student laptops. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 May 2008 )
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