In re Lawrence Peters message:
My experience is that everyone in this needs help--the teachers,
students and parents. Without the help it is too easy for all of these
folks to take off the shelf uninformed views. Parents are relying on
schools to provide this guidance but teachers are often too busy--where
to start is an obvious first question? One resource is Cybersmart--a
product that we helped when I directed MAR*TEC (RTEC serving the Mid
Atlantic Region based at Temple University) to publicize..it provides a
middle school curriculum of sorts and is a very useful starting point
for teachers looking for practical ways to supplement their teaching.
You can find them at www.cybersmsrt.org Laurence Peters __
I understand Michigan also has had a 6th grade computer laptop
distribution program. I would be very interested to learn if this is
so, (or similar teacher/student laptop distributions in other states)
and what the experience has been, including through the use of the kind
of Instructional Support Centers and teacher training provided in Mid
Atlantic Region.
Recent interest arises in Illinois, in that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, chair of
Gov's Broadband Deployment Council, has worked with members of Illinois
House of Representatives to introduce HB 5244 for I-Connect Computer
program which would work through IL State Board of Education to
distribute up to 10,000 laptops to 7th grade students, and their
teachers. It provides for increased teacher training. The bill can be
found at Illinois General Assembly website www.ilga.gov , now being
reported from Committee to House floor for debate. This bill will
either go, or not, quickly, in this election year as Illinois
legislative session ends April 7. Following is a fiscal note on the
potential costs of about $11 million, although it is not clear that this
equipment would necessarily come from taxpayer budgeted funds in the
coming year, or simply be an "authorization" subject to equipment
acquisition when funds or large scale donations available.
__________________________
Fiscal Note (H-AM 1)(State Board of Education)
The State Board of Education estimates that House Bill 5244 will
have the following fiscal impact: Purchase of Laptop Computers -
$10,800,000; Cost of I-Connect Board - $30,000; ISBE Staffing -
$200,000; Software Updates - Unknown; Maintenance and Technical Support
- Unknown; Laptop Lifespan - Unknown
________________________
Thank you, Layton Olson
Layton E. Olson, Esq.
Howe & Hutton, Ltd.
20 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 4200
Chicago, IL 60606
312-263-3001 Fax: 312-372-6685
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.howehutton.com
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