Kershaw County School District will be delivering and distributing laptop computers to students at North Central, Camden and Lugoff-Elgin high schools during the last three weeks of this month as it puts into action its pilot technology plan -- i-CAN.

Ninth-graders at North Central High School will be the first students in the district to receive the new laptops and Camden High will be the next in line to distribute the units.

The delivery of the laptops to students will set into motion the crux of the district`s plan to provide high school students with portable computers.

The i-CAN program revolves around a decision by the Kershaw County School Board in late September to fund an $8 million technology lease plan that would provide laptops, computer infrastructure, maintenance service and staff development for the district during the next four years. The innovative technology program will target each ninth-grade class and every high school teacher as a part of the lease the district signed with Hewlett-Packard. The lease contract, which will bring around 1,200 laptops into the schools this year, is expected to be reviewed by the school board each of the next four years. The goal of the district is to provide each incoming freshman class with laptops over the lifetime of the contract and allow seniors the option to purchase the units for a reduced price upon graduation.

With board approval of the funding and lease agreement, district administrators moved into the first phase of the i-CAN program: Staff development.

The district doled out the first shipment of computers to ninth-grade teachers in early November. Experts with Classroom Connect, a staff development firm used by Hewlett-Packard as part of its contract with the school district, held several training sessions for teachers on how to use the laptops and ways to integrate the new technology into their lesson plans. After the ninth-grade instructors finished their initial training, Classroom Connect representatives, aided by members of the district`s existing technology team, held similar seminars for teachers of other grade levels to prepare them for the program`s implementation.

Teachers were not the only ones who had to attend special educational sessions on the district`s technology initiative.

Parents of all ninth-grade students attended a mandatory meeting at their child`s high school. Each school scheduled two sessions for that day to accommodate parents` schedules.

Members of the district`s technology staff and administration and Classroom Connect representatives used the time to explain the i-CAN program, demonstrate the laptops` functions and give parents an idea of the requirements and expectations for each student relating to the new computers.

A portion of the approximately hour-long, mandatory meeting centered around a new policy, adopted along with several other policy changes by the school board, outlining use guidelines and regulations.

"These policies were developed with lots of stakeholder involvement including media specialists, teachers, principals and district level administrators. The policies approved for the laptop project are aligned with the district`s current technology policies. We believe they will help us make the transformation in teaching and learning that we desire," said Dr. Agnes Slayman, assistant superintendent for instructional services.

The information included the care of the units and the responsibility of each student to use approved software and Internet sites. The policy states that the computers are district property and that students should have no expectations of privacy. It further explains that the units will be subject to periodic software and communication audits so that teachers and school officials can be sure the laptops are being used for appropriate applications. The regulations include a clause that states the laptops should not be used for any illegal or dishonest activities. The rules cover both school and home use. Failure to follow the guidelines and regulations could result in disciplinary actions and could result in the loss of a student`s laptop for a specified length of time.

By signing the contract, students and parents agree to provide a safe and secure environment for the units that will be assigned next month.

The district offered students and parents the option of purchasing a $50 insurance policy to cover the theft or loss of the computers. The policy covers the replacement cost of the laptop if it is lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair but not from neglect or abuse. The insurance, which is not considered mandatory, describes the procedures to be followed if the computers are stolen or lost at school and at home.

The student/parent laptop agreement states the student will remain in possession of the computer as long as he/she is enrolled in the Kershaw County School District. Upon leaving the school, students are responsible for returning the laptop and accessories to the district unless other arrangements, including the possible purchase of the computer, are made with the district and school. The district will hold the records of any student who keeps the laptop until it is returned in working condition. The agreement states that the district can choose to pursue legal action against students failing to return the laptops.

High school teachers were required to sign a similar agreement, including the regulations on use and Internet access, and offered the insurance policy as an additional safeguard for the laptops as part of their training sessions on the i-CAN program.

With the laptop policies in place, use agreements signed and several hours of staff development under the district`s belt, administrators said they hope the new technology plan will revolutionize the way students and teachers tackle the education process, giving students and the district a leg-up in the future with the help of technology in the classroom.

Source: ZWire, January, 2005