Every Kid At Childress High School...

[Russell]

... got a new Apple MacBook today.

Talk about excited. The students here where I teach are pumped and for good reason. Every student has their own laptop and conventional textbooks are soon a thing of the past here in our little school of 300 or so Panhandle kids.

This picture is from our orientation in the gym this morning.

It is an exciting time to be a Bobcat.

-Russell

[snidow]

That is AWESOME! How'd that happen?

[DJ.]

Wow, that is exciting.
That takes care of the old homework excuse, "the dog ate it".

[J Eddington]

That is a great Apple ad!

[DeLeon]

Very cool! What happens to the laptops after school is out or if a kid drops out?

[andyz]

I hear there is a rush on MySpace accounts.

[JohnT]

I wanna go to that school.

[Russell]

Originally Posted by snidow

That is AWESOME! How'd that happen?

The school district just decided that it was a direction that we wanted to take so the money was ponied-up and the computers were bought.

Originally Posted by DeLeon

Very cool! What happens to the laptops after school is out or if a kid drops out?

The kids take the computers home and treat them as if they were their own. If they drop out, then the computer goes back to the school. At the end of the school year, the computer gets turned back in and each student will get the same one back when the new school year commences.

Originally Posted by andyz

I hear there is a rush on MySpace accounts.

You would think but the proxy won't allow MySpace - even when they are at home on their own internet connection.

[brad]

So glad that the Plano ISD could make this happen for them.

Robin Hood at work.




EDIT: Sorry, that's probably political... if so, mods, please delete.

[a2rob]

Yea, I want to go back to school!!! Nice capture

[Russell]

Originally Posted by brad

So glad that the Plano ISD could make this happen for them.

Robin Hood at work.




EDIT: Sorry, that's probably political... if so, mods, please delete.

With all due respect Brad, your statement is wrong. Robin Hood was eliminated by the Texas Legislature a couple of years ago and the Plano ISD has never contributed to the Childress ISD coffers.

These computers were paid out of the local fund balance - money that was saved by the district for this project.

Even when the Robin Hood plan was in effect, our district received only about $200,000 annually from the Alamo Heights School District - hardly enough to pay for all of the computers.

I just wanted to clarify that so people on the forum wouldn't be mislead.

Thanks,

Russell

[iCe]

Awesome.. both for the kids and that shot...

And Deer School is pretty kickass too...

[mike.strock]

Quote ->You would think but the proxy won't allow MySpace - even when they are at home on their own internet connection. <- EndQuote

Even when they are at home on their own internet connection? Wow. Pretty tightly locked down then. I would think they would want to encourage the use of the computer outside schooltimes. Myspace may not be the best use of online time, but if they block myspace even outside school time on a non-school connection, what else are they blocking?

Still cool for them. I wouldn't want to go back to high school just to get a Macbook though.

[Russell]

Originally Posted by mike.strock

Even when they are at home on their own internet connection? Wow. Pretty tightly locked down then. I would think they would want to encourage the use of the computer outside schooltimes. Myspace may not be the best use of online time, but if they block myspace even outside school time on a non-school connection, what else are they blocking?

Still cool for them. I wouldn't want to go back to high school just to get a Macbook though.

The use of the computer is encouraged outside of school time. However, social networking sites like MySpace were blocked to discourage their use at school. I think you would agree, though, that there are more educationally productive things to do than to check MySpace accounts.

As it stands, the way the computers are configured, the blocks go wherever the computer goes.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Russell

The use of the computer is encouraged outside of school time. However, social networking sites like MySpace were blocked to discourage their use at school. I think you would agree, though, that there are more educationally productive things to do than to check MySpace accounts.

As it stands, the way the computers are configured, the blocks go wherever the computer goes.

I, for one, agree wholeheartedly.