Netbooks in every home

Recently LWSD made the decision to convert our schools from physical (paper) text books to net books for all students grades 6-12.  Phased roll-out to the schools included Inglewood and Rose Hill Junior High schools (now Middle Schools) among others.  Roll-out in phases was done to accommodate the learning curve for staff and to allow technical support to work out the bugs in a smaller test group before issuing the net books district-wide.

Netbooks are a small, lightweight laptop computer.  There are no “traditional” (non-USB) ports; although there are USB ports for thumb or mini-drives, printer connections and other plug-ins (peripherals) needed by a user.  The school netbooks will come pre-loaded with security and anti-virus software, online textbooks and are pretty “locked-down” as to things that could be uploaded by the user or accessed on the internet.

According to Kathryn Reith, Communications Director for Lake Washington School District, the “the funds for these machines come from the technology portion of the capital projects levy that was passed in the 2010 election. This program was part of the planned expenditures from that levy.”  There were additional costs incurred for textbooks (physical) and online licensing, OS and security software, but those were also covered in the CP levy.

As the netbooks are rolled-out to specific schools, parents will receive documentation including a Handbook, Agreement and Parent Letter/FAQ.

Netbooks usage will be handled in two ways:  Parents will sign and complete the agreement and pay for insurance in order to allow their student to take the netbook home; students with families who choose not to pay for insurance or sign the agreement will check the netbooks in and out of class every day, similar to checking out a library book.

The District has stated that families that do not have internet access or have security concerns about the netbooks may keep the netbooks checked-in at the school.  Netbooks are primarily for use in classrooms but will not be used in all classes or at all times.   Students that do not have net books will not be penalized but may miss out on in-class activities and projects that require use of the netbook.

From the LWSD Connections Newsletter:

Laptops for Middle, High School Students

If you have a student in middle or high school, your student's school may already have issued laptops to every student. The Mobile Access for Students program brings mobile computing devices - such as laptops and netbooks - into the classroom to improve learning. The program is possible thanks to a technology levy passed by voters in 2010.

By the December winter break, students at every middle and high school will have a district laptop for use in school and at home. To ensure that the operation of checking out the laptops goes smoothly and has adequate technical support, schools have been assigned to one of three phases during the fall. Schools selected their phase based on their readiness operationally and instructionally for the devices.

We have prepared a Mobile Access for Students section on the district website with information on why this program will help your student's learning, how it works, and frequently asked questions. Some examples of the way these devices have affected learning at schools in our district that piloted their use tell the story of how they have changed teaching and learning.

The parent agreement form, student laptop handbook and information on parent/guardian responsibilities are all posted on the Program Operation page. In addition, a copy of an optional insurance policy is posted there so parents can see whether it may be of interest to their family.

If your student's school is in the second or third phase of the roll out, the school will provide plenty of information in advance. For those whose has already gotten their laptop, you may want to refer back to the district site if you have misplaced or forgotten any of the information.

Based on these facts, I have some concerns as a parent of a student in LWSD:

·       Insurance is not required, but students with no insurance will be required to leave the net books at the school.  The district has arranged for insurance coverage with families paying $50 for a policy specifically designed for technology such as the netbook.  At this time, it is unclear if that $50 is for a calendar year (January through December) or a school year (September through June).  Considering that many students will not receive their net books until December (as is reported in the case of Redmond Middle School), it is likely that some families will pay the insurance, effectively twice in a school year.

·       My homeowners insurance will cover the netbook, but does not cover technology, per se.  According to my agent “the policy isn't really designed very well to cover single items where the value isn't terribly high.”  Our deductible is basically going to cover the cost of replacement of the item and if it were stolen we would have to show proof of “break-in”.  If the netbook were left at school, or in a backpack or a friend’s car or (think of all the places your student has left their sweatshirt, hair bands, shoes, wallet and you get the picture), we couldn’t qualify that as “stolen” even if it were stolen.  The theft would have to have taken place in our home.  

·       Not every family in the LWSD has internet access.  Regardless of the fact that we are minutes away from Google, Microsoft and hundreds of other technology companies; there are people that live without high speed internet or any internet at all.  The district’s solution is to offer a low cost internet access for $10 per month to these families. 

·       If the district’s goal is to do away with textbooks, but not all students will be taking their net books home, then won’t those students still need textbooks to complete homework?  Will textbooks still be available for those that choose to bring them home or study without the aid of technology? 

·       Redmond High School has approximately 2,100 students in attendance.  Consider if just 10% of those students do not take the net books home; 210 students in line every morning to check out their net books and those same 210 students every afternoon back in line to check them back in.   And, who hasn’t had a library book that you’ve returned show up “missing” with a fine attached?

·       How many phones or other electronic items has your student lost, misplaced or damaged in a year time period?  As a parent, we deal with these things by requiring the child to pay for the repair or replacement, loss of activities, privileges or making them work it off with sweat equity.  Those options are still in the hands of parents, but first we must pay for the replacement or repair and THEN get blood from the turnips that are our children.  And, while they’re suffering the consequences of losing or damaging the first net book, they’re given a loaner one to use in the interim.  (If my child loses or damages his personal phone or laptop, he’s out of said device until he’s paid for repair or replacement. I’m not forking over more money so that he can do it again and again and…)

·       So, potentially, a parent could be paying $50 for insurance, $100 for internet coverage (for 10 months) and up to $500 to replace or repair the unit.  This is on top of the lunch fees (reduced or not), class activity fees, instrument fee, ASB, photos, field trip and school supply costs that families pay for annually.  And that’s not even counting tutoring, sports, mileage, fundraising, clothing and all those other little fees that add up and deplete our budgets (and need I mention senior year which is in a category of its own?).  Add to that more than one student in the district and you’ll need a part-time job just to break-even.

I’ve spoken to a couple of parents and students who have already used the net book system and for the most part it’s received good reviews.  The security is so tight that nothing else can be installed on the netbook; a search engine is reachable, but it’s limited access (so no searching for Budweiser Bikini Girls or whatever else it is that young teenage boys look up when the parental units aren’t looking).  One of my student friends reported that her teacher was going to ask for all reports and projects to be handed in electronically.  She says it’s easier to carry the netbook than carrying 50 lbs. of text books and cramming them in her locker.

The district’s motto is “Every child future ready” and I know technology is not just the future; it’s the here and now.  I’m concerned that with all these exercises to make our children future ready, the basics are being overlooked.

According to National Center for Education Statistics “On average, 3.4 percent of students who were enrolled in public or private high schools in October 2008 left school before October 2009 without completing a high school program (table 1).”

“Combining data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, approximately 607,000 public high school students dropped out of grades 9–12 during the 2008–09 school year (data not shown in tables). This translates into an event dropout rate of 4.1 percent.”

Although there have been several reports that the district has scored highly in national testing and has improved recently; I wonder how many of these graduates are ready for the future.   Knowing how to operate a net book will not make up for the lack of spelling, vocabulary or comprehension skills that many high school students possess.  Having the opportunity to read and manipulate stories and projects in real time will not offset the lack of basic math knowledge or organizational skills necessary to compete and succeed in the current workforce.  Technology is many things, but the creator of knowledge it is not.

I am concerned that although test scores show improvements, our children are falling further and further behind in graduation standards, college preparedness and useful life skills.  Many students need tutoring just to keep up; not necessarily to take AP or other college level courses in secondary school. 

“Some states no longer emphasize spelling or grammar since that knowledge is not required for state tests. As a result, middle school children may know the definition of SAT vocabulary words such as "perambulate" and "quiescent," but they don't know how to spell such basic words as "independence" or when to use commas or semicolons. Parents turn to tutors to help their kids bone up on these fundamentals.” 

“Findings released Monday by the non-profit College Board show that 57% of 2012 graduating seniors who took the SAT, which it owns, earned a combined score below what it says is necessary to show that students can earn a B-minus or better in the first year at a four-year college.”

I am not suggesting that we return to chalkboards and papyrus sheets in order for students to succeed; but it is imperative that we not overlook the necessity of basic educational skills in our quest to race our children to the future.

Paige Norman

Redmond, Washington