The original laptop plan for the schools in Pennfield Township, Michigan, had called for a round of laptops for each incoming freshman class. Next fall, that would have provided all but seniors with a laptop. However, a unanimous board vote recently called for equipping all 400 of their freshman and seniors next fall with funds left over from a 2004 bond.

In part, the program’s economic feasibility is the result of scaling down from a traditional laptop to the Lenovo IdeaPad notebook computers. This decision was made after interviewing students and teachers. To speed up adoption, the school requires teachers to give some paperless assignments and maintain a class Web site.

"The key is not just that kids have a computer, but to use it right," said Superintendent Ben Laser. "We're trying to position our staff so that [the computers] can really have an impact in the classroom."

Source: Battle Creek Enquirer, Student Laptops Approved, by Ryan Holland