Technology Grants Cheered

Ten-foot-tall amoebas have invaded the big screen in Simon Miller’s seventh-grade science class at Kellogg Middle School.

The normally microscopic monsters are being projected via Miller’s classroom computer onto the 10-foot-square screen thanks to a multimedia projector Miller purchased with a $4,500 grant from the Toshiba America Foundation.

“It just takes one computer to make it so we can hook up machines like this,” Miller said.

Miller obtained that one computer with the help of Idaho’s $10.4 million Technology Initiative. Now, his 120 science students can access the Internet, write letters to kids in other countries and take “virtual field trips,” where they use the computer to research the solar system or watch video clips of live amoebas.

“This is such a valuable tool for educators,” Miller said. “They would much rather have this than watch me draw on the board.”

The Idaho Council for Technology for Learning wouldn’t be surprised to hear that. In a joint House and Senate Education meeting on Tuesday, council officials reported the success of the Technology Initiative and recommended to legislators to keep the money coming for another five years.

Mike Rush, council administrator, monitored eighth- and 11th-graders’ academic progress from the beginning of the program in 1994. Within two months, groups with high exposure to technology gained almost a year in academic performance over those students with low exposure, Rush said.

Greg Godwin, Kellogg schools superintendent, said for his teachers, “it’s been difficult to keep up with the training.” In his district, “the emphasis has been on just getting the computers into the classroom,” Godwin said.

The most successful computer-assisted learning in Kellogg, Godwin said, is the Waterford reading program for kindergartners. Reading packets are printed off the Internet, and kids take them home where they study them with their parents.

“With one Internet-access-capable computer in every classroom, we can do more research-based study for all of our students,” Godwin said.

Despite all its success, the council also reported that there’s not enough technological expertise in some schools to deal with the demands of setting up new equipment.

But council officials are expecting a $3 million grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation to put in place a training program for set-up technicians. The program involves three steps, the first of which would just train one person for each school in setting up computers. The third proposes academies of technology training at the secondary level, so that schools could hire certified set-up technicians.

Simon Miller agrees that set-up can be a problem, but insists if lawmakers consider cutting back technology funding, “it’s going to be a hit to us.”

“These kids are pretty amazing,” Miller added. “They’re doing great things with these computers, and they could do even more.”