[September 09, 2011] iPads replacing textbooks at CCCHS Tweet Sep 08, 2011 (Clay Center Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- By Ryan D. Wilson News Editor The district isn't quite ready to replace textbooks with iPads for every student, but the devices will be more extensively used in the schools, particularly in the high school, Technology director Ben Last told the USD-379 school board on Wednesday. "We've talked about 1 to 1 stuff with the iPads with the technology committee," Last said. "We don't know if we're at that point yet or if the iPad is a powerful enough tool for what we need to do in a 1 to 1 type of setting. We are considering it." Last said the schools are doing a lot of testing with the iPads this year, but the devices can't do all do what a lap top can do, and instructors prefer the laptops over the iPads should the district go to a 1 to 1 initiative. However, the devices are being used. Instructor Robert Moran is putting textbooks on iPads for 25 of his students in his algebra class. The devices have to be synced up and require a lot of work to use effectively, Last said. "It's not like a regular computer," Last explained. "There's a lot of work with them. We are going to try to purchase a cart from Apple that will sync them all at one time, so you just plug them in." A lot of other teachers are interested in the iPads, and the technology committee is looking, Last said. The devices cost $499 each, or about half of what a laptop costs. Last said the district can get a 10 pad for $4,790, or $5,380 with warranty, but there also software and licensing costs, about $60 per machine. Part of the reason the iPads won't work well as because they require wireless connection, and they don't work very well on the district's wireless connection. The technology department is looking at upgrading the wireless connection, Last said. "We really want (to use) our iPads and a lot more technology in our schools, and we're finding the wireless network is getting really saturated," Last said. Last said talked to a couple of vendors about upgrading the wireless and they said some of the things the district can do is upgrade the access points, which are four to five years old, and to expand the coverage area, which would cost $30,000 to $40,000. "One of the good things about that is that we have the infrastructure to do that," he said. "We have the wire, we have the power, the ethernet, so basically in a lot of places it's just going to be getting the wireless up to be getting the wireless up." Other technology upgrades The board also looked at a bunch of technology upgrades from laptops to virtual school. Last said the district's biggest technology need for 2012 need is to upgrade the mobile carts. Mobile carts are filled with enough laptops to a accommodate a classroom of students. Upgrading these carts to replace 200 laptops bought in 2008 and upgrading the Mac lab. would cost roughly $280,000. "We're on a four-year cycle right now where we upgrade them every four years," Last said. While the district just upgraded the PC lab at CCCHS, they'll need to replace 18 Macintosh computers for the Mac lab at CCCHS, Last said. The technology department is also working on a bandwidth and WAN upgrades, Last said. Upgrading these improvements is "not the top priority right now," Last said. Upgrading bandwidth to add an additional 34.5 megabytes per second (a total of 45 megabytes per second) would cost about $20,000. If the bandwidth is upgraded, the Internet filter will have to upgraded along with it, and that's a cost of $2,495 to upgrade with an annual cost of about $2,600, he said. The WAN, which is currently 50 megabytes per second, would need to be doubled. The district also needs to upgrade the Computer Assisted Drafting computer labs, about six years old. The district will replace 10 computers and add three computers at Wakefield, and replace 12 and add two at CCCHS, which would cost about $50,000. The district is also setting up Facebook pages for the district and schools, but it will be used as a way to communicate information. A lot of restrictions will placed on this page and Facebook users won't be allowed to post comments on the district's page, Last said. The district lost six students at CCCHS to virtual schools, so Folks asked the board to consider starting a virtual school within the district. The board asked for Folks to set up a discussion with an persons knowledgeable about virtual school for the strategic planning meeting, which is set for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15. The board also: -- heard a presentation from Garfield Principal Jaclyn Pfizenmaier about Project Renew, a program through K-State that exposes teachers to upper-level math and strategies on how to better teach math required by state assessments. -- approved setting up a Literacy Fund to channel monies raised through fund-raisers to purchase literacy related items in the classroom. -- approved donations to the CCCMS Bengal PAWS program, which included donations from Clay County National Bank, Gate 9 Graphics, Gibson's Ace Hardware, Hutchinson/Mayrath, Kier's Thriftway, United Bank, Union State Banks, Rays Apple Market, Leiszler Oil, Patterson's Health Mart, Drs. Reeves & Stoppel, and Pinsetters. ___ (c)2011 the Clay Center Dispatch (Clay Center, Kan.) Visit the Clay Center Dispatch (Clay Center, Kan.) at www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1160 Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]