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Posted on Sat, Feb. 28, 2004


Bayshore downloads laptops

Nearly 2,000 students will receive computers under the school's $2.2. million pilot program

MICHAEL BARBER

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - Bayshore High is blazing a new trail for technology in Florida.


The first public high school in the state to distribute laptop computers to its students, Bayshore celebrated its pioneering status during an afternoon assembly Friday.


So far, close to 1,000 Bayshore students have received laptops. Another 800 students are eagerly waiting for their computers.


"They're pretty cool," said Justin Mays, a junior. "You can go on a Web site and find out what you need to do in a class."


Although students get to take the laptops home, the Apple iBooks being used provide only filtered access to the Internet while the students are on campus.


Students are already incorporating the laptop computers into regular course work.


"I use it in Chemistry Honors and Spanish 3," said Sabrina Cosby, a junior who received her computer Wednesday. "To me, using the computer is easier because I can type faster than I write, so I can work faster now."


A 20-person technology steering committee selected Bayshore to be the pilot high school for the laptop program. Of the county's five high schools, only Manatee and Bayshore submitted proposals to participate.


Superintendent Roger Dearing, school board member Barbara Harvey and other top district officials attended Friday's assembly.


Virginia and Maine are the only other states in the country with laptop programs similar to the one at Bayshore, according to Dearing.


"It's up to you to use these laptops to open up the windows of the world," Dearing told the students. "It's up to you to open up the windows of success in the future."


The students didn't need any encouragement from Dearing to get busy with their computers. A large number of students were accessing sites on the Internet while Dearing was speaking.


The school district devoted $2.2 million to the laptop program at Bayshore. Individual laptops cost just under $1,000.


"Right now the students are exploring and learning how to use the computers in the classroom," said Principal David Underhill. "They're finding out how exciting it can be to access information."


Before students can be issued a laptop, their parents have to take a training class and sign permission forms. Parents are also required to pay a $35 accidental damage fee prior to their children acquiring the computers.


Students and parents are also required to read and sign use agreement forms that include disciplinary consequences for misusing the computers.


Some students could be headed for trouble if Friday was any indication. During the assembly, some students in the gymnasium stands were using their laptops to listen to music they downloaded or to play video games on the Internet.


Underhill said the school will use the last three months of this school year to get accustomed to all of the issues involved in incorporating the laptops into the classrooms.


"Our biggest directive right now is to work through the problems that exist when you're out there on the cutting edge," Underhill said.


Michael Barber, education reporter, can be reached at mbarber@bradentonherald.com and 748-0411, ext. 2640.