Mid-West students lead the way with laptop computers

14/11/03
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter today distributed the first instalment of laptop computers to Geraldton high school students as part of the Gallop Government's $3.7million technology in education program.
Handing out the personal computers to a class of Year Eight students at the city's Highbury Street campus, Mr Carpenter said the program had the potential to revolutionise learning in the Mid-West.
"By giving all students access to a portable wireless notebook, we are setting up an environment for a new and ground-breaking way of thinking about teaching and learning," Mr Carpenter said.
"Research shows that students can have higher engagement and motivation levels, independence and confidence when engaged in electronic forms of information transfer, location and retrieval.
"This sets the environment for real improvements in student learning."
Today's distribution is the culmination of the Highbury Campus Notebooks for Students program, announced by the Minister last November.
The laptops will go to the 700 Year Eight and Nine students studying at Highbury Street.
"Today the first allocation of Apple notebooks has been be distributed to 30 students and a further 70 notebooks will be distributed next week," Mr Carpenter said.
"By the start of Term One next year, all Year Eight and Nine students will have received a notebook computer."
The Year Eight students were able to use the notebooks straight away, with structural and other work to accommodate the computers already completed.
This included the installation of fibre optic cabling, security lockers with power points to charge the notebooks, broadband Internet services, wireless internal networks, curriculum software, power and communications upgrades and the provision of technical support facilities.
Geraldton MLA Shane Hill said the Mid-West students were the only WA Government students to take part in a notebooks for students program.
"Geraldton students are leading the way in the provision of this technology," Mr Hill said.
"It is part of the Government's commitment to deliver equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for Mid-West students."
Each of the students received Apple's latest iBook notebook computer, complete with Airport, Apple's inbuilt wireless access technology and Apple's latest release operating system.
About 50 teachers will take part in the program. Geraldton teachers have been able to obtain their own notebooks through the Government's Notebooks for Teachers initiative.
Apple computers have been used in similar programs in other Australian states and the USA.
Mr Carpenter said Apple had reported in each case in the US, schools had experienced better performance in key learning areas and improved student attendance.
"This is the kind of result we are chasing here in Geraldton," he said.
"We want to turn children on to learning and improve their academic performance in a range of areas."
The project provides substantial resources for staff professional development and support.
The program includes supporting initiatives such as:

• the appointment of a curriculum ICT co-ordinator who will focus on professional development in the use of computer technology in teaching and learning at the school;

• professional development learning strategies and programs to enhance students' access to and use of on-line learning programs to improve the students' outcomes;

• processes to measure student progress; and

• creation of a leadership group of teachers who will support the development of staff and students through mentoring programs.