By Terry Date
tdate@eagletribune.com
December 21, 2008 12:56 am WINDHAM — Resident Tony Massahos is a fiscal conservative, but agrees with school officials who say that giving laptop computers to every student at Windham High School will improve learning and save taxpayers money. But, Massahos is quick to note, many people in town don't see it his way. They shake their heads at the program's cost and think students will break the laptops. "The response on the street is not good," Massahos said. Windham School Board members also have heard a drumbeat of complaints from those who think the 1-to-1 program is a lavish — and unnecessary — expense. But school officials in Windham and others at the state level defend laptop programs, as do school officials in Maine, home to the world's largest 1-to-1 program. Part of the Windham residents' dissatisfaction may be due to the distinction of being the only program in the state. State educational technology director Cathy Higgins knows of no other school system in New Hampshire that provides an entire grade with laptops. Resident Tom Case is one of those people who is displeased with the laptop program. "I think they are making a wrong move without a lot of study," Case said. For one, he says, the teachers who will be teaching the classes have not been consulted about the program because they haven't even been hired yet. But his main objection is to students bringing the computers home. which he thinks could lead to damage. Bette Manchester, who ran Maine's laptop program from its start in 2002 to 2008, said there was wide public outrage over the program when it was introduced seven years ago. "People were just stunned that (Gov.) Angus King, a fiscally conservative person, would bring it in," Manchester said. Success depends on how laptops are used While people feared middle school students would break or lose their laptops, or they would be stolen, that hasn't been the case. As of last year, fewer than 1 percent of the laptops were broken or stolen, Manchester said. The computers are easy to trace, which discourages theft, she said. It's important to have policies in place for the care of the computers and procedures for their use, she said. In addition, she said teachers need to encourage the use of computers for learning. In fact, teachers are key to the program's success. Where they have failed, and there have been well-publicized failures in New York and Florida, teachers used the laptops, but didn't change their teaching to incorporate the laptops into lessons. "This is not a technology project," Manchester said. "It is a learning project for everybody — not just the students, but the teachers and the administrators." Comprehensive studies by David Silvernail of the University of Southern Maine bear out Manchester's observations. Silvernail of the Center for Education Policy will soon release results from a three-year study of 950 students at 24 middle schools in Maine. The students whose teachers received special training in incorporating laptops into their math lessons scored significantly higher in standardized math tests. An earlier study, from 2006, of 15,000 Maine eighth-graders' writing skills, found students made significant progress when teachers used the laptops as an instructional tool. That is, they used it to draft, redraft and refine writing as opposed to just using the laptop as a writing device, like a typewriter, he said. Every Maine public middle school participates in the program and it has expanded to many Maine high schools. Officials say cost evens out The Windham program will cost about $642,000 in the first year. Students will have 24/7 use of an Apple MacBook during the school year for their four years at Windham High. Windham School Board Vice Chairman Bruce Anderson said some residents think furnishing every student a laptop is going to be outrageously expensive, more expensive than the traditional desktop computers. Windham's director of technology, Terry Bullard, said the laptop program is less expensive in the first year than a traditional program would be. The $642,000 price tag will pay for 506 laptop and desktop computers. Every one the projected 347 students, as well as every teacher, teacher's aide and administrator, will receive a laptop. The student laptops will cost less than $1,000 each, perhaps as low as $800, she said. The cost of traditional computer outfitting of the school in the first year would be about $820,000, Bullard said. The district is looking at a lease program for about 200 freshmen in 2010 and about 200 freshmen in 2011. The leasing will cost about $212,000 for 195 laptops over four years, Bullard said. That is where some people have a problem with the program in years two and three, Anderson said. In three years, by which time each student in the school's four classes will be furnished with a laptop, it appears the laptop program would cost only slightly more than the traditional outfitting, Anderson said. But Anderson and others say laptop program savings come from other areas. For one, unlike the traditional computer outfitting, there isn't a huge spike in technology costs to replace a slew of desktop computers and computer stations, he said. Laptops can be replaced for less money, since only one class graduates at a time. "It's more a managed, phased approach," Anderson said. The district also could save on paper and textbook costs since many free texts are available online, Windham High School principal Rich Manley said. In addition, students will use their laptops to prepare for SAT tests and to conduct virtual dissections. Laptops offer more learning opportunities Schools Superintendent Frank Bass said the possibilities for student learning, using laptops, are remarkable. Classes could have 10 or 20 projects going on simultaneously, he said. A study of cultural icons and their creations in the Jazz Age could spawn online student discussions and research about Louis Armstrong and his trumpet playing and F. Scott Fitzgerald and his classic novel "The Great Gatsby," he said. Laptops allow for a 24/7 dialogue, Bass said. Higgins, the state educational technology director, supports laptop programs, as well. "We know that 1-to-1 programs can have a dramatic impact on student learning, so yes, of course, I'd love to see a 1-to-1 program expanded in our state," she said. "The question is usually one of affordability. Budgets are tight so, of course, this has to be well thought out when a school district considers doing a 1-to-1 program." A criticism from some Windham residents holds that parents and others were not made part of the process before the School Board accepted the administration's recommendation to adopt the laptop program. Maintenance, replacement raise concerns The School Board has scheduled discussions on laptops, partly in response to this criticism. Another recurring question has been who will pay for the laptops if they break. Board members said they are considering an insurance program funded by parents through laptop lab fees. The fees will not be a lot of money, Anderson said. Susan Einhorn, the executive director of the nonprofit Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, said she doubts the district will have a lot of problems with their Apple laptops breaking down. The foundation offers school districts information about laptop programs. They are well made and Apple provides a lot of support, she said. In addition, students typically take pride in taking care of their laptops, she said. One thing is for sure, Windham students will have lots of company nationwide and worldwide. A nationwide survey from 2006 showed 25 percent of schools in the United States had or were in the process of adopting laptop programs. Entire countries — including Peru, Portugal and Venezuela — are undertaking or have undertaken laptop programs for students. Einhorn said she doesn't know what the impact of the current financial crisis will be on laptop programs, but, until now, more schools have been adopting them than scrapping them. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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