Michigan’s Freedom to Learn program provides laptops for every sixth grade student in the Chelsea School District. School officials are now looking at expanding the program to the seventh and eighth grade. To make the case for the expansion, South Meadows Elementary School Principal Lisa Nickel and Joe Tinsley, Technology Integration Consultant for the school district, presented the idea to the Chelsea Board of Education.

Their PowerPoint presentation highlights the edge provided by personal computing power and the results of a district survey that showed strong support for laptops. Current laptops are loaded with sixth-grade materials, so the proposal will have those computers stay with the sixth grade, with new models issued to seventh graders.

Reporting on the event, the local paper recounted:

Nickel and Tinsley walked the board through the slide presentation and a video featuring teachers telling the story about the laptop program, accompanied by students giving their own personal perspective.

Science teachers told the board that although lab work and hands-on experience is vital, the laptops can be interactive and can enhance what students are doing in class through a growing number of sophisticated online tools.

Language Arts teachers said the quality and quantity of the students' writing since using the laptops "is hands-down so much better."

Math teacher Dave Brinklow told the board that while his classes may not use the laptops as extensively Global Studies or Language Arts, he can track student progress, both individually and collectively, through software called Discourse.

"I can communicate with them as a group or as individuals, and I can see if a student is struggling without the whole class knowing about it," Brinklow said.

He also noted he can follow the progress of accelerated kids, and they can work on individual projects.

Assistant Superintendent Iva Corbett praised the technology staff for establishing an infrastructure that made success possible.

Superintendent David Killips assured the board that there was sufficient funding remaining from a voter-approved technology bond to cover the cost of extending the program to the middle school. They anticipate needing $240,000 for a program with 400 laptops. Board members will soon receive a proposal for a vote.

Sources:

• The Chelsea Standard, School board ponders laptops for other grades.
• South Meadows laptop page
• Other documentation from South Meadows