Consortium for Digital Learning News

New Digital Learning Projects Set for Fall Launch

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 17:42:17 -0800

With $2.5 million in hand from the 25th Alaska legislature, Consortium for Digital Learning (CDL) staff moved quickly to review the 1 to 1 laptop applications submitted by districts in an effort to fund as many projects possible, despite the fifty percent reduction in anticipated funding. Starting with the vendors—Apple and Dell—negotiations were launched to create a total solution from each vendor that would ensure success within the financial constraints created by the Governor’s reduction in funds for CDL. Staff next engaged each applying district in an effort to reduce the scope of projects where feasible to fit the funds available. Fairness to all districts, both new partner districts as well as districts desiring to expand, was a central theme as projects were negotiated and eventually awarded in mid-June.

Project Awards
AASB is pleased to announce that ten new projects and seven expansions of current CDL projects were awarded. Collectively these projects will involve nearly 3000 users at 40 schools. Districts launching new Apple 1 to 1 initiatives include Bristol Bay, Iditarod, Kashunamiut, Ketchikan, Pribilofs, and Wrangell. Expanded Apple 1 to 1 projects will take place in Anchorage, Denali, Dillingham, Juneau, Lower Kuskokwim, and North Slope school districts. New Dell digital learning projects will be introduced in Copper River, Kenai, Northwest Arctic and Valdez school districts. A pilot project utilizing new “mini-laptop” devices will also be launched in Anchorage.

Mini-Laptop Pilot
CDL is excited to partner with Anchorage to provide a mini-laptop pilot project to over 1200 users at the 9th grade level. The project will be a proving ground to test the possibilities of these new, lower-cost devices. If the pilot proves effective, mini-laptops will be incorporated into the CDL initiative as part of our long-term strategy to help address the issue of equity in student access to technology.

It is our sense, that mini-laptops will have a profound impact on 1 to 1 digital learning and the future of CDL as companies more fully develop and market these devices. From our perspective, this is a natural evolution directed toward having multiple solutions available for our students—highly sophisticated hardware and software when the task requires and more cost-effective hardware and public domain software where feasible. The lower-cost, lightweight laptops available at $300-500, will enable CDL to support the expansion of 1 to 1 computing at an accelerated rate helping achieve the goal of instilling 21st century skills in all students.

While low pricing and durability make mini-laptops a potentially attractive option for school use, some companies offering these high access devices do not supply the same array of solution components now provided by our current CDL vendors—Apple and Dell. CDL remains committed to complete solutions that consist of hardware, software, internet connectivity, professional development and ongoing technical support. To avoid a do-it-yourself approach to 1 to 1 digital learning when selecting a mini-laptop option, both CDL and individual districts will need to be prepared to creatively “fill the gaps” when securing staff training and technical services.

Digital Learning Gains Momentum in Alaska
We are excited to support the launch of seven new CDL projects and ten expansion projects this fall. With 28 of 53 Alaska school districts now participating in CDL, we have passed the halfway mark for district involvement since the initiative began in 2006. We will continue our efforts to educate our membership about the importance of 1 to 1 digital learning, and work to influence legislators and the governor during the upcoming legislative session to provide additional funding for further expansion of CDL in 2009.

Laptop Study: Use of laptops in curriculum results in greater writing achievement

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0800

AUGUSTA – Education Commissioner Susan Gendron and Governor John Baldacci hailed the results of a study released on Tuesday that offers, for the first time, quantifiable data showing that the use of laptops in classrooms improves learning.

The Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) at the University of Southern Maine released today the results of a study, “Maine’s Middle School Laptop Program: Creating Better Writers.” The study shows that the Maine Learning Technology Initiative has had a clear and significant positive impact on student writing achievement. In fact, twice as many students met “proficiency” standards in writing in the highest-laptop-use group as compared to the lowest-use group.

Maine has been a leader in the deployment of laptops and learning through technology – all eyes around the nation have been on Maine, and an important question to be answered was whether or not laptops are having the desired impact on learning. MEPRI conducted the study at the request of the Legislature. The study is the first in a series aimed at evaluating Maine's first-in-the-nation laptop program.

Gendron said the report shows promise for the future of technology in supporting the learning of 21st century skills.

“The days are gone when our kids could learn math and reading and go out into the world and be successful,” Gendron said. “Whether going on to a four-year college, or to a job in an automotive shop, our students need problem-solving skills, the ability to research, experience working in teams, and other critical 21st century skills. This study shows one way in which students are improving learning through the use of technology.”

Gov. John Baldacci, who has supported the laptop program, as well as the effort to expand the program into high school grades, said the report validates the anecdotal evidence we have been hearing from teachers, principals, students and others.

“Since the implementation of the laptops initiative, we have all wanted to know what kind of impact they would have on student learning and achievement,” Baldacci said. “Until now, we have had only anecdotal evidence of success. For the first time we have proof that laptops make a difference in learning, and we also have quantifiable support for students’ and teachers’ belief that laptops make a difference in teaching and learning.”

The report by Dr. David Silvernail will undoubtedly be viewed closely both here in Maine and nationally as other states continue to watch Maine closely because of its nation-leading efforts in the implementation of 1-to-1 laptop use and Maine’s incorporation of laptops into the middle school curriculum.

MEPRI plans to conduct additional research on the impact of laptops in the future.

Here are some of the key findings of the report:

Use of laptops and a technology instructional program contributed to significant improvement in writing scores for eighth graders from 2000 to 2005 (laptops introduced in 2002).
An average student in 2005 scored better than approximately two thirds of all students in 2000.
In 2000, only 29.1 percent of eighth-grade students scored at the proficiency level. In 2005, the percentage increased to 41.4 percent of eighth-grade students meeting the MEA writing proficiency.
Students who used the laptops in all phases of the writing process scored the highest on the MEA writing test. In fact, twice as many students in the highest-use group as in the lowest-use group met proficiency (43.7% compared to 21%).
Writing scores improved for all students – regardless of the MEA test medium, i.e., online versus longhand. Laptops in classrooms helped students become better writers in general, not just better writers while using laptops.
Over 80 percent of the teachers report that the quality of their students’ work has improved since the implementation of the laptop program.

Replacing books with computers shows promise

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0900

By Katie Pesznecker, Anchorage Daily News
The books are open at Wendler Middle School -- MacBooks, that is.

Sixty seventh-graders there have received free-to-use laptops. They can't take them home, yet. But they haul them around between classes, use them for note-taking and other assignments, and tap into wireless Internet for easy research and browsing.

The theory: Give children constant access to technology and they will read more often, learn better and have fun doing it. Wendler is one of 48 Alaska schools in 18 school districts trying this techie approach. The project is run by the Association of Alaska School Boards and mostly paid for by a grant from the state Legislature.

It's too soon to say if it will make a difference. For now, the kids are just stoked to have the laptops, teachers are enthusiastic and Wendler principal Joel Roylance thinks this experiment is a glimpse of the future of public education.

"I have no doubt," he said. "These students are comfortable with technology. At home, the television is on, the phone's on their ear and they have the laptop open. Then they'll take the PDA and use that at the same time. It's just seamless for these kids. They've grown up around it. They're used to it. They're not afraid of it."

Equipping middle-schoolers with laptops isn't a new strategy. It's happened around the country and got a boost in 2002 when all middle school students and teachers in Maine got laptops from the One-to-One program by Apple.

A study of the first two years of that project showed promising results: Four of five teachers said students were more tuned in, did better work and were more prepared for state tests; seven of 10 kids said the computers helped them get organized and work faster.

That sold Andrew Halcro, a former Alaska state representative and candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial election. On the campaign trail, Halcro said his education plan included assigning a laptop to each of Alaska's 20,000 middle school students.

Halcro talked to Maine officials familiar with the program, who reported improved test scores from their students.

But that isn't the only goal, Halcro said in a post-election interview. Middle school can be a tough, tenuous time, when many kids mentally check out from school.

Maine officials saw the laptops help battle some of that, Halcro said. Online message boards for classes actually had students talking and interacting more with one another and with their teachers.

"It does help kids get engaged and maybe reduce the dropout rate," Halcro said. "You could spread out from there. It's all about hooking kids on learning. ... Giving a student a textbook isn't even reality any more. Give them some tools."
The laptop projects landed on the radar of the Association of Alaska School Boards. Officials saw it as a way to "level the playing field" by helping schools that might be technologically lagging, said Bruce Johnson, director of AASB's Quality Schools, Quality Students program.

The group invited an Apple Computers vice president to talk about the program at AASB's fall 2005 convention.
"He just ignited us," Johnson said. "We had school board presidents from across the state asking us, how can we get started down this pathway?"

Now each of the 48 schools involved have their laptops. Most are in rural districts. One school in Juneau and one school in Fairbanks are participating. And in Anchorage, it's Wendler.
The Wendler students got their laptops a week before winter break. Each kid uses the same one every day for English, social studies, math and science classes.

They'll now take notes for science and math class using a program called NoteTaker, doing away with composition notebooks. Teachers will grade their assignments electronically. Math software like the Appleworks Drawing Program and Geometer Sketchpad will "help students visualize mathematical concepts," teacher Kehle Middleton said.

In social studies, the students have watched online videos about Mexico and South America and used Microsoft Word to import photos that match up with vocabulary words.

English teacher Holly MacInnis will have her students make family trees using a genealogical program that lets them add video, photos and Web links.

At first, though, the students just learned how to run the machines -- everything from basic laptop care to battery charging to making and saving files.

For some, it's review. They have computers at home and know how to use them.

Others, like Ryan Sherwin, don't have computers at home. But he said figuring out the new laptops "is pretty easy," as he's used computers before.

The difference now, Ryan said, is how often he'll get to use a computer. Before the laptops arrived, computer use "was, like, during lunch, and that's it," the 12-year-old said.
Now he's got one for most of his school day, during all his core academic classes.

"We've made a podcast already, took a bunch of photos with our laptops -- there's a camera on it," Ryan said. "We started saving files and creating files for all of our core classes."
The teachers like the laptops because they allow for flexibility in each student's academic day.

"Handing the students a single textbook and saying, 'Here, read this and answer the questions,' is unfair to those higher and lower students," said MacInnis in an e-mail. "Because students are using technology, they are excited to go beyond what's required. They aren't handed more worksheets. ... Instead, they can truly extend themselves into higher levels of thinking."

Skeptics say that students can also goof off and go nuts with Internet surfing, downloading games and music, or wasting time on sites like MySpace.

But Roylance, the principal, is confident that won't happen. MySpace, for example, is just one of many similar socializing sites that's blocked by the district. And the kids know there are strict rules about storing any non-school-related files and that breaking those rules will mean bye-bye laptop, he said.
There are other ways the project could go bad.

If teachers don't know what they're doing, neither will the kids. So they had to go through a lot of training.

There's also the question of money. In Wendler's case, the Association of Alaska School Boards got funding from the state for two-thirds of the bill -- $5 million for the whole state, they say. Participating school districts pick up the rest.

Funding isn't guaranteed for next year, but Johnson, with the Association of Alaska School Boards, said he's confident the project will roll on when lawmakers see success.

"We believe and told the Legislature that this is just the very beginning," Johnson said. "We told them, give us $5 million and we'll prove to you that districts will use these resources responsibly ... and we can start showing you some results."
During the gubernatorial campaign, Halcro heard from one teacher who criticized his laptop plan because she felt the money school districts put out would be better spent lowering class sizes.

It's all part of improving education, and if schools see results from the laptop use, it should be expanded, Halcro said.
Roylance said he'd support expanding the program if he saw proof that access to the laptops helped kids do better on tests.

"If I can't do that, I've wasted my time," Roylance said. "But I do think it's already working. They're going to go into the workplace with some base-level computer skills, and that's valuable."

Students adapting quickly to online learning program

Fri, 1 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0900

By Robinson Duffy, Fairbanks News-Miner
Teacher Jeff Jacobson, watching as the sixth-grade students filtered into his classroom Tuesday, said something most other teachers in the district wouldn’t be able to.
“OK, you need to have your laptops on and plugged in.”
The 20 or so students all flipped up the screens on their new Apple MacBooks. The machines hummed to life, automatically connecting to the school’s new high-speed wireless network, and with that the students were ready for another day of school.
It’s been a little more than a month since all the sixth-graders at North Pole Middle School were given laptops as part of the One-to-One Computing Digital Learning Project. The Fairbanks school district, through a partnership with the Alaska Association of School Boards Consortium for Digital Learning, paid a fraction of the cost of the computers.
It’s been quite an adjustment for both the teachers and students as they’ve learned how to use the laptops as one of their main educational tools.
“We’re finding that the kids are faster learners when compared to the teachers and that the teachers are, to some degree, struggling to stay ahead of the kids,” said Jim Cobb, the school district’s director of technology. “But that’s a good sign, although it’s been an interesting challenge for us and it points out the fact that we need to develop additional professional development courses for our teachers.”
Jacobson said that sometimes he feels as much a student as the sixth-graders when it comes to the new technology.
The two teachers involved in the pilot project at North Pole Middle School — Jacobson and Terry Solomon — received only a day or so of training before the students were handed their laptops in October. Since then the two teachers have been working to integrate the laptops into their lesson plans, meeting on a regular basis with district officials and technology specialists to develop ways to present content through the computers.
“If there’s a way I can do something on a computer with the lesson I need to teach, then I try to do it,” Solomon said. “It’s extra work for us (as teachers), but it’s worth it. The kids are really engaged.”
The students on Tuesday were using their laptops like seasoned pros, clicking through the various programs they’ve learned to use, typing up English assignments, doing research on the Internet and putting the finishing touches on a multimedia solar system project complete with music playing in the background as the computer sequenced through slides with images of the planets and facts about the solar system. The students were able to hook their laptops up to a projector and share their projects with the rest of the class on a large screen at the front of the room.
“Instead of being a report on paper, it becomes more visual,” Jacobson said. “With everyone showing their reports over and over again, we’ve learned a lot about the planets.”
Of course, they’ve also learned a lot about the technical difficulties associated with 60 or so students suddenly having laptops sitting on their school desks every day.
“When all 60 kids turn on their computer simultaneously and try to get onto the Internet, we run out of bandwidth pretty quickly,” Cobb said.
School officials have been working through hardware glitches, networking problems and a myriad of other small issues as they meet every week to discuss the pilot project.
One of the biggest problems Solomon had to face the past month has been finding a place for all students to plug in.
Jacobson’s classroom has strips of power outlets running along the baseboards, and he has been able to set up the desks in the classroom so that every student can plug in a laptop.
But Solomon only has eight outlets in her classroom, with several of those already being used for other classroom equipment.
“The computers are supposed to run for four hours on battery so it hasn’t been too bad yet,” Solomon said, noting that each student is supposed to come to school with a fully charged battery each day.
The problems the district is working through with the new program are similar to the problems the Denali Borough School District faced when it implemented the same program four years ago.
Since 2002, all of the sixth- through 12th-graders in the Denali Borough schools have received laptops. Currently, about 180 students in three schools in the district are participating in the program.
Pete Vraspir, the technology director for the Denali Borough School District, said the teachers had some difficulty making the laptops more than just something for the students to play with.
“We’ve done lots and lots of training over the past four years, Vraspir said. “I do a lot of in-service trainings. It’s ongoing, continuous. I spend many, many hours every week in the classrooms.”
Now the students in the Denali schools do almost all of their work on the computers, Vraspir said.
“We view the laptop as an essential learning tool,” he said. “It’s not something that is compartmentalized and put aside. It’s sewn into every curriculum and program in the district. One of our teachers has completely abandoned textbooks in her science class, using instead resources on the Internet.”
Jacobson said it’s probably still a little early to think about getting rid of textbooks or pens and paper at North Pole Middle School.
But he said that almost every day he and Solomon learn something new about their computers and find some new way to use the laptops to supplement their lesson plans.
The students, on the other hand, don’t seem to be having any problems figuring out how to integrate the laptops into their days, said Ernie Manzie, North Pole Middle School’s principal.
“It’s nice to see them every morning coming in carrying them,” Manzie said. “Before school the kids are huddled around their laptops in the halls.”
Kassy Bruzon, 11, said having a laptop of her own has made school more interesting.
“I actually look forward to doing homework now,” she said.
Her classmate, Celsie Nevins, said she likes using her laptop’s built-in digital camera and the photo editing software to create creative digital pictures.
“You can express yourself in different ways,” said Nevins, 12, while showing off the different special effects she’s learned how to use to enhance her photos.
RJ Corona, 11, said he likes the fact that his teachers can post their lesson plans and any homework assignments onto his laptop using the school’s computer network. Homework assignments and important due dates are automatically updated to students calendar software.
“It’s a lot easier to remember homework,” he said.
And are the laptops helping the students do better on their school assignments?
“On paper I write faster,” Mark Stoller, 11, said. “But on computer I think it’s funner.”

Juneau Alternative High School swaps textbooks for MacBooks

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:50:52 -0800

Nearly 150 teenagers and a dozen teachers at Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School are poised to make the leap to digital learning on Monday, October 30. Yaakoos is one of 51 project sites in 18 school districts across Alaska participating in issuing laptop computers to their students. The statewide project seeks to mirror some of the promising results seen nationally in similar “1 to 1” initiatives—improved academic performance, increased attendance, decreased dropout rates, and students more engaged in their formal education.
“Today’s teens are immersed in technology; it’s second nature to this generation,” said Superintendent Peggy Cowan. “We believe we can keep kids in school longer and get them to produce better results with immediate, hands-on access to the world through digital learning.”
The Alaska State Legislature’s 2007 Capital Budget included $5 million for the Association of Alaska School Board’s Consortium for Digital Learning (AASB-CDL) to develop digital learning pilot projects statewide. The funds enabled AASB-CDL to cover two-thirds of each participating district’s overall project costs. The Yaakoos four-year project totals $370,000. Of that amount, AASB-CDL is providing $247,000, with the district supplying the remaining third of the cost, $123,000.
To further assist participating districts, AASB-CDL brokered a deal with Apple Computer to purchase all of the necessary hardware, software, professional development and technical support needed to set up digital learning environments in each of the project schools.
“Transitioning to a new era in education requires redefining its most basic element—the daily interaction between teachers and students,” said AASB Executive Director Carl Rose. “Digital learning truly is a pioneering effort, and we have high hopes for the success of the Yaakoos initiative.”
Every student and teacher at Yaakoos will be assigned a new Apple MacBook laptop pre-loaded with an array of productivity software. A wireless network now blankets the school building, and an upgraded server will store student projects and portfolios. The school has also been provided with digital still and video cameras, and digital projectors to aid in delivering instruction.
“We believe we can positively impact literacy with the reading supports embedded in the technology,” said Principal Laury Scandling. “What’s really exciting to see is the excitement this project already has generated. Several kids on the verge of dropping out last year are now committed to graduating and already talking college.”
Teachers will monitor student computer activities through remote access to each individual laptop. After several months, students may earn the privilege of taking the computer home overnight after satisfying a number of requirements, including good grades and steady attendance. While they will not own their assigned laptop, students and their adult co-signers will be financially responsible for any damage or loss.
An eight-member student Tech Team has undergone Apple training along with the teaching staff, and will earn credit by coaching peers and trouble-shooting the technology.
Yaakoos serves up to 150 teens, ages 16-21. The alternative high school is in its twelfth year of providing a supportive, personal environment for students at-risk of not graduating and/or for students desiring a more individualized educational program.
# # #

ROLLOUT SCHEDULE, MONDAY, OCT. 30

8:15 a.m. Students gather at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 10th & Glacier Avenue, to see laptop demonstrations by Apple team; Q&A

9:15-10:15 a.m. i-Safe presentation on safe and appropriate use of the Internet by health teacher, Nikki Richert; Skits of acceptable laptop uses by the Tech Team

10:30-11:15 a.m. Return to YK school; Meet in advisory groups for assignment of laptop and “out-of-the-box” information and student online survey

Noon-2:40 p.m. Continue introduction to laptops; Participate in sample lesson using productivity software (NoteTaker)

PARENT PARTICIPATION

5:15 p.m. Parents gather at JDHS Library for project overview, remarks (JSD, AASB); Q&A

6:15 p.m. Parents go to YK school to sign paperwork and see student-led demonstrations of new laptops and other digital learning technology

CONTACT INFORMATION
Yaakoos: Laury Scandling, Principal AASB-CDL: Bruce Johnson, Director
Phone: (907) 523-1801 Phone: (907) 586-1801
Email: scandlil@jsd.k12.ak.us Email: bjohnson@assb.org
Website: http://www.yaakoosge.com Website: http://aasb-cdl.org

Students get hands on pilot program laptops

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:37:48 -0800

By Robinson Duffy, Fairbanks News-Miner
The sixth-graders at North Pole Middle School, like most of the students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, have to bring pencils, notepads and textbooks to school each day. But the 60 or so sixth-graders at North Pole Middle will now have a slightly more expensive piece of hardware in their backpacks.
Last week, each of the North Pole sixth-graders was given a $1,193.37 Apple MacBook laptop computer to use during class and for homework.
“It’s been my dream as a teacher that every child in my classroom would have access to a computer,” said Jeff Jacobson, one of the two sixth-grade teachers at the middle school. “Now that dream has come true.”
In the classroom, the computers will become an integral part of the students’ days, Jacobson said. With the laptops on their desks, the students will have instant access to the Internet thanks to a new high-speed wireless network installed in the school.
The computers came loaded with a suite of software applications to help the students with their schoolwork, said Jim Cobb, the district’s executive director of technology. The software includes a program to help them organize their notes and another one to help them search the Internet more efficiently.
Jacobson said the students in his class have already used their computers to make a slide show of digital photographs and to type English assignments. He plans on having his students use the computers to create research projects complete with digital images and videos. He said he and fellow sixth-grade teacher, Terry Solomon, are excited to find new ways to implement the computers into their regular lesson plans.
“We see the power of the technology to deliver the curriculum,” he said.
The laptops are free for the students, who will get to keep the computers until at least the end of their eighth-grade year, thanks to a grant from the Alaska Association of School Boards Consortium for Digital Learning, which is picking up two-thirds of the initial costs for the basic laptops. That help means the Fairbanks school district will have to pay $174,527 for the program, including maintenance of and insurance for the computers, installation of new network hardware in the school and teacher training.
North Pole Middle School is one of 48 schools in Alaska participating in Apple’s One-to-One Digital Initiative. It is the only school in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to be included in the program. Cobb, earlier this year, said that one of the reasons North Pole Middle was chosen as the pilot school for the program was because the district’s administration wanted to give the school a “shot in the arm.”
“It’s a psychological boost to a school that had a problem last year, helping the school and the community put it behind them,” Cobb said, referring to an incident last year in which several students were arrested for allegedly plotting to kill other students and staff.
“This is going to be a fun year for these kids,” Cobb said on Thursday night after a meeting where parents and sixth-graders learned the nuts and bolts of the program before the students were allowed to take their laptops home for the first time.
The contract parents and students had to sign before being able to take the laptops home states that since the laptops are the school district’s property, there shouldn’t be any expectation of privacy.
While in the school, the laptops will communicate with a computer server through the wireless network, Cobb said. All of the students’ work will be automatically uploaded to the server every 20 minutes so that there will be a backup in case of any problems with the laptops.
This also mean, Cobb said, that the school will be able to monitor everything the students do with the computers. At any time during the school day, a teacher or administrator can use their computer to see what is on the screen of a student’s laptop at that moment.
The first thing in the morning each school day, the laptops will tell the school’s server exactly what the students did with their computers at home.
“So we will know what you do,” Cobb told the students.
All of the teachers at North Pole Middle were also given laptops as part of this program and all of the classrooms and common areas of the school were set up with wireless networks.
“We’ve geared up for what I hope will happen,” Cobb said.
What he hopes will happen, he said, is that in the next few years enough money will be found in the school district’s budget or from special appropriations from the Legislature to give every student at North Pole Middle a free laptop. But he doesn’t want to stop there.
“We’re looking at the requirements to make this a reality across the district,” he said.
But before that can happen, he said, there has to be a shift in the way administrators and government officials think about technology funding. Right now many policy makers consider technology an optional expense, he said, but in the modern world it should be an essential element of education.
“We need to treat technology like we treat heating oil or electricity. It should be a staple that’s built into the budget,” Cobb said.
Bob Whicker, a representative from Apple Computers overseeing the One-to-One Digital Initiative in Alaska, said the company’s research has shown that having laptops in the classroom has helped raise students’ tests scores and improve productivity. It also helps them with their communication skills, he said.
“The students write more and they write more effectively,” he said. “That’s what this is all about. It’s not about the laptops, it’s about teaching and education.”
Sue Hull, one of the school board members who worked to get the laptop program here in Fairbanks, warned the students and administrators, however, of thinking the computers are going to be a magic wand.
“Technology doesn’t make changes, it just enables it,” she said. “Just having a laptop isn’t going to raise your test scores. It’s only if you say, ‘I want to make the most of this.’”
Whether or not test scores go up at North Pole Middle School remains to be seen, and it is something the district will be watching very closely, Cobb said, but the students’ spirits on Thursday night were certainly high as the laptops were handed out.
“Oh, yeah. I’m excited,” was all 11-year-old Haley Brunnell could say as she showed her parents her new computer.

School districts selected to participate in Consortium for Digital Learning Project

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:33:14 -0800

AASB is pleased to announce that the selection process has been completed for districts participating in the AASB Consortium for Digital Learning (AASB-CDL). A total of nineteen districts have been identified for funding. Applications were reviewed and evaluated for project readiness in four major areas: Leadership, Learning, Technical Infrastructure, and Community Engagement. Proposed projects were scrutinized to insure manageability in size and scope, and the presence of fundamental elements essential for project success.

AASB-CDL stretched its resources to accommodate all districts that applied, and worked hard to shape each proposed project to a size that maximized its success and manageability. At the conclusion of an intensive evaluation process, AASB-CDL was pleased to be able to offer a project in each applying districts. In most cases projects were approved as submitted, while others were adjusted to fall within the Consortium guidelines.

Within the nineteen participating districts, over fifty proposed project sites have been identified, representing approximately 10% of Alaska’s schools. The projects span both urban and rural areas of the state, predominantly targeting students at the middle and high school levels. Opportunities for several supportive regional partnerships have also been also identified that will foster resource and information sharing among neighboring districts.

In granting funding to AASB-CDL this session, the Alaska Legislature expressed its desire for the initiative to include broad statewide participation. This aspiration is reflected in the list of school districts selected for the initial round of Consortium funding: Alaska Gateway, Anchorage, Cordova, Craig, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Iditarod, Juneau, Klawock, Kodiak, Kuspuk, Lake and Peninsula, Lower Kuskokwim, North Slope, Petersburg, Southeast Island, Southwest Region, and Yukon Flats.

AASB-CDL districts are being contacted to outline any project adjustments and discuss next steps for their initiative. During the month of July, a team from Apple Computer will visit each district to verify readiness levels and craft an individualized plan addressing technical support and professional development needs.

In spite of an impossibly short timeframe to prepare for September project launches, participating districts are willingly spending time during summer months preparing project applications, making infrastructure upgrades, and training staff. This commitment clearly demonstrates the interest and enthusiasm that education leaders from across the state are showing for the promise digital learning holds in providing Alaska’s students with the skills necessary to succeed in the global economy. We strongly believe that this supportive partnership will make a positive contribution to the students and staff members associated with each of the 1 to 1 laptop projects. Together we will begin to transform the process of educating our children.

Apple Education VP endorses AASB Consortium for Digital Learning

Mon, 29 May 2006 15:03:16 -0800

Vice President of Apple Education John Couch offered congratulations to AASB on the Consortium of Digital Learning (CDL) becoming a reality and pledged Apple’s support to help Alaska schools achieve their teaching and learning goals.

AASB formed the consortium to assist districts in launching digital learning environments in Alaska schools. A $5 million appropriation for the Consortium for Digital Learning was included in the 2007 capital budget passed by the legislature on May 9. AASB is seeking an additional $5 million in federal funding for the consortium from Alaska’s congressional delegation.

At a recent joint AASB/Apple briefing in Anchorage, Vickie Kelly, Apple K-12 Education representative for Alaska, read a letter from John Couch to an audience of sixty superintendents and board members in attendance from across the state.

Praising AASB’s “vision and conviction to empower the children of Alaska,” Couch commended the organization on “succeeding what so many other states have failed.” He said “It is crucial to provide our children with an exemplary education for they will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

The joint briefing session was organized by AASB for school districts interested in participating in a 1 to 1 laptop pilot initiative to learn more about the vision surrounding digital learning, consortium structure, and application requirements.

Couch, who reports directly to CEO Steve Jobs, pledged Apple’s continued commitment and support to the AASB-CDL executive team and member districts, saying “There are problem solvers or opportunity seekers; it is great to be working with Alaska’s opportunity seekers”

At AASB’s annual conference last November, Couch delivered the keynote address on “The Digital School.”

AASB proposes Consortium for Digital Learning

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:54:27 -0800

The Consortium for Digital Learning is an AASB-inspired initiative to provide laptop computers to public school students and create digital learning environments in K-12 classrooms across Alaska. Executive Director Carl Rose believes the initiative represents a significant step in the improvement of public education.

“Computers and the Internet have changed the way we work, communicate and collaborate,” said Rose. “Access to a digital learning environment will help prepare Alaska’s students to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy.”

AASB, a private, non-profit organization representing Alaska’s school districts, is pursing $5 million in state funding to create the consortium as a means to implement the digital learning initiative in schools and entire districts. AASB envisions an investment of $5 million in state funds, matched with federal and local funds, to bring $15 million to the initiative.

Membership in the consortium would be available to all K-12 schools and districts in Alaska, including Mt. Edgecumbe High School and the ChalleNGe Program. AASB will administer all facets of the consortium and broker technology-related services and equipment to members. An advisory council to offer technical expertise and review funding requests will be established.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that many jobs are migrating out of the U.S. due to the technology proficiency in other countries,” Rose said. “The creation of digital learning environments in Alaska schools will help our students unleash their tremendous potential, raise their achievement levels and prepare them to arrive in the workplace well-versed in relevant employment skills.”