Launched this fall, Palm Springs’ laptop program is already showing promising results. But the launch has not been entirely trouble-free. At a recent board meeting teachers specifically cited a lack of training time to help them move from Windows to the Apple operating system featured on the laptops.

District officials plan to add more training opportunities at a cost of $70,000, in the next two years. According to a local newspaper, “Combined with staff costs to refurbish computers during the summer months, it should cost the district about $120,000 to sustain the program, said Will Carr, assistant director of technology.”

The district supplied $170,000 to support program start-up costs. Individual school sites are responsible for allocating the funds necessary to purchase new software. New schools can volunteer to join the program if they have funds (about $65,000 per classroom) and a commitment to incorporate laptops into instruction. Two classrooms will be joining the program in February.

At the same school board meeting, district officials highlighted results from teacher surveys and student data that show the laptops' success in keeping students engaged and creating a curriculum that trains students in 21st century skills. Strikingly, officials at Cathedral City High School saw a 92 percent decline in discipline referrals among the 87 students using laptops compared to last year.

Source : Desert Sun, Teachers want more help with laptop programs