Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated
April 17, 2000).
Laptop program
is nearly online State's $110
million plan will give teachers high-tech tools By Mark
Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing
Bureau LANSING -- Michigan's classroom teachers should
begin receiving laptop computers from the state in February, two months
later than originally planned. Officials announced
Tuesday that the state has picked five vendors for the 90,000 computers
-- IBM, Apple, Dell, Gateway and Compaq. Negotiations took several
months. Under the $110 million state program
proposed by Gov. John Engler and passed last summer by the Legislature,
the portable computers will belong to local school districts -- with
teachers encouraged to take them home. "We have
two classes emerging in our society: Those who have access to technology
and know how to use it, and those who don't," Engler said.
"Ninety thousand teachers now stand to have
Internet access as early as February. The potential payoff on this is
just staggering." Local school districts must
apply for the voluntary, free program. They'll get $1,200 per eligible
teacher that can be used to buy a computer, software, Internet access
and a warranty. Teachers must complete an
assessment survey of their computer skills, show basic computer
competency and write a plan for using technology in the classroom.
"What you have done is clearly leading-edge on a
national basis," said Steve Evans, vice-president of IBM.
Application forms, assessment surveys and more
information about the Teacher Technology Initiative are available at http://www.mivu.org/ You can reach Mark Hornbeck at (517) 371-3660
or mailto:mhornbeck@detnews.com
News Talk
.gif){kind=small}
