Westside's Student Laptop Program

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 11:02 am

From the Omaha World Herald...

Westside High School students soon may need to carry computer bags along with their backpacks.

District administrators have proposed spending $450,000 of the district's general fund budget on a program that would provide Apple laptops for the 1,800-plus students in grades 9 through 12 beginning in January 2005.

Known as the "One to One Initiative," the proposal will be considered by the school board as part of its budget for next school year. The budget is not final until fall.

The laptop plan will be outlined tonight at a 6:30 meeting at the district's administration building, 909 S. 76th St.

If approved, Westside would be Nebraska's first public high school with a laptop program. A few area private schools have integrated laptops into their daily lessons.

Nationally, many school districts have laptop programs.

"This would mean a significant change in how we do business as a school district," said Westside school board President Scott Hazelrigg.

Hazelrigg likened the change to PowerSchool, the online program implemented three years ago that allows district parents and students to access grades and other information online.

Greg Logsdon, upper school principal at Omaha's Brownell-Talbot, said communication has increased between students and staff since fall 2001, when laptops became required. Many teachers, he said, hold office hours in the evening so they can respond to student e-mails as assignments are completed.

Laptops were issued to all Westside High faculty during the 2001-02 school year. The school already offers wireless Internet access, so students can contact teachers during down time.

Rebecca Cleveland, president of Omaha's Gross Catholic High School, said teacher training for the laptops is crucial. The school's laptop program, which is optional for students, has grown from 21 students to 185 in three years.

Westside officials say the idea of providing laptops to students, first presented by Superintendent Ken Bird in April, is a way to ensure all students have access to cutting-edge technology.

The computers likely would be issued to students much like books are now, Hazelrigg said. At the end of the school year, the computers would be returned. When the technology becomes outdated, the machines would be exchanged.

Board members and district administrators are looking at the curriculum effects of laptops for every student. Many textbooks eventually could be replaced with online or CD-ROM versions. Hazelrigg said other supplies, such as calculators, also may become obsolete.

"This gives the ability for teachers to walk into the classroom and know all students have the same resources," Hazelrigg said. "It may sound extravagant, but if we look at how things are going in the business world, and in education, it's really not."

Laura Hickman, principal of Duchesne Academy in Omaha, said her school is developing a class to teach students troubleshooting and maintenance of their laptops.

Logsdon said part of the training for students at Brownell-Talbot focuses on the appropriate use of the technology during class.

"Not downloading music or instant-messaging friends during class," he said. "We have some software so teachers can make sure students are following along."

richNcincy · Post by **richNcincy** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:21 am

I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I would completely agree with adding one system to the classroom with a projector. But a laptop for every student is a bit overboard. I would guess that 10% of those would be broken (dropped) in the first year alone. It would be a burden on the school to continuously buy laptops.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:26 am

You know what this is all about Rich? It's about a windfall in the form of increased property tax valuations. The county just got done re-assessing property values for tax purposes (the metro averages about ~2.1% of valuation, depending on the school district, city vs SID, etc ... fairly high compared to many metros... on the other hand... the schools are very good here)... the average property value increased 10-15%. So... why roll back the tax rate... when you could just spend the money on a bunch of laptops. I'm waiting to see what my school district decides to do with all the extra money.

I agree with you though... I think the cost of the laptops will be minor compared to the ongoing support costs.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:25 pm

I can't believe how fast they turned this around... apparently fast enough to eliminate any time for property owners to figure out that their increased valuations would be paying for it ... instead of allowing a property tax cut.

Westside students get hands on own laptops

The countdown on the wall of Nicky Glade's homeroom class at Westside High finally reads "0!"

Since June, when Westside's school board approved a plan to provide an Apple iBook laptop computer to each of its nearly 2,000 high schoolers, students - including Nicky, a freshman - have been looking forward to this day.

Wednesday afternoon, students were to get their laptops. But before they did, each student had to attend 90 minutes of training with a parent.

With the move, Westside joins all Maine public school districts and others in such states as Kansas, Virginia and Illinois in a growing effort to integrate laptops into student learning.

"This is not about technology," said Kent Kingston, the school district's technology director. "This is about the appropriate tools to help kids learn."

Westside is the first public district in Nebraska to offer such a program. Some private schools in Omaha, including Brownell-Talbot, Duchesne Academy and Gross Catholic, require students to buy laptops. No public schools in Iowa offer it as of now.

Neal Topp, professor of education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said that not only will laptops give students an advantage in preparing for technology in the real world, but also that research shows students with classroom access to laptops learn their subject matter better.

"If Westside can show their kids are getting a better education," he said, "other districts will do a knee-jerk and do the same."

Westside students are involved in running the program. Nicky is one of 200 students, which is 10 percent of the student body, who have volunteered to give technical support to classmates and teachers.

"I am so excited," she said at a recent training for the job. "I just want to play on the computer."

The fact that Nicky and students like her look at work on the computer as "play" is one strength of the program, said Rae Niles, curriculum and technology director with the Sedgwick (Kan.) Public Schools. The district, in a Wichita suburb, has 160 high school students. Its laptop program is in its third year, and Westside used the school as a model for how to implement the program.

Westside officials are hoping for results like Sedgwick's: Niles said since the program began in her district, attendance is up and disciplinary action is down.

"Our students want to be in class," she said. "They don't want the laptops taken away."

Each Westside student will have access to programs for creating his or her own movies, composing and recording music, editing photos, listening to music and wireless surfing on the Internet. All students also will have word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.

For now, the computers will not allow instant messaging, although Kingston said that could change because there are academic uses for the feature.

Depending on each student's class load, Kingston said, other applications will be added. Students are prohibited from downloading their own software, including games.

Students who violate the district's computer use policies will be dealt with on an individual basis, school officials said.

In addition to the software tools that students will have at their fingertips, Kingston said, students will be signed up for an Omaha Public Library card, which will allow them access to the library's online collection.

Over the next four years, Westside will spend $3.3 million on the program from the general fund. Westside is receiving a no-interest loan from Apple. At the conclusion of the four-year agreement, Kingston said, the district will re-evaluate its success and have the option of continuing with updated equipment.

Topp, the UNO professor, said the cost of a laptop program will keep some districts from joining the trend "until society is willing to pay for it."

Westside views the program as a family responsibility. Family members can use the laptops at home for tasks such as checking e-mail, as long as that kind of use doesn't interfere with students getting homework done.

Parents have the option to buy insurance for the laptop at $25 per school year, which will cover 70 percent of the cost of replacement for the nearly $1,000 machine. If insurance is not purchased, the student would be responsible for the cost of replacing the machine if it were damaged or stolen.

Because each student will have a laptop, district officials say, most of the high school's desktop machines will be sent to the district's middle and elementary schools.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 7:12 pm

Omaha World-Herald wrote:Published Monday
April 4, 2005

Computer security no match for kids

BY MICHAELA SAUNDERS

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
It didn't take long for tech-savvy Westside High School students to find a weak link in their school's new computer security system.

High school and district officials spent long hours checking and rechecking the system's security before Westside's 1,950 students were issued Apple iBooks in mid-September.

In less than two weeks, students had cracked it.

They say administrators forgot one crucial detail.

"I don't think they really took in that we grew up with computers," said one student who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We know everything about them."

At a coffee shop recently, the student partially took apart the issued laptop to demonstrate how easy that is. A few students even know how to solder inner components to the motherboard to make the machine more powerful.

Students quickly cracked a password last fall so they could change basic settings.

For example, every screen initially had a blue background with the words: "User agrees to abide by school rules, district policies and state/federal/local laws. Academic use only."

Now, nearly all students have personalized screen savers and backgrounds that feature everything from movie stars to pictures of their friends. Clock and battery-level displays have been customized, too.

Harmless, right?

Unfortunately, the more curious and experimental types didn't stop there. They "unlocked" their machines and soon began downloading games, deleting security updates and sharing files.

Officials say that a small fraction of students uses the technology inappropriately and that they are disciplined if caught. Assistant Principal Jeff Wagner has a list of about 100 students he keeps tabs on.

"It would be unreasonable to think 2,000 kids, at every hour of the day, would be doing perfect things," said Kent Kingston, district technology director. "We gave 'em notebook paper and pencils and they passed notes."

When students were told to back up their research papers and other assignments to the school's server (think of a very large, digital file cabinet) they knew that meant they could back up anything.

So some students began storing music files on the server - making them available to others. When the sharing clogged up the school's network, students were warned to stop or lose their music player software.

The program was removed from several dozen computers. But students said some got it back, thanks again to the server.

Many students share music and other files with a Flash Drive, a key-size device similar to a computer's hard drive that is often attached to a key chain. Administrators said they have seen few of the devices.

Just before spring break, administrators confirmed that a small number of students had gained access to Remote Desktop - an application that school officials use to monitor student computer use during class.

The program lets the user watch activity on another person's computer or even take control of the other machine.

On March 23, as students took a district survey in the library, a desktop machine began blaring music - courtesy of a student with a copy of the special software.

"We've nailed some kids, and we're looking for others," said Paul Lindgren, the high school's top technology official.

Students have been disciplined for misuse, including losing laptop privileges temporarily. The district has blocked the use of instant messaging software for most of the year.

"Some (students) don't like that the administration has set boundaries for us," one student said. "Blocking (instant messenger) . . . really made a few kids mad."

The student said manipulating the machines is, for some, a way to get back at officials for setting limits the students deem unfair or unnecessary.

Several said the district could employ stronger fire walls, give teachers more training and use trickier passwords.

The technology has also created a sort of underground market for computer know-how.

"If they can't figure it out," said freshman Nicky Galde, "they take it to someone who knows."

For example, if one student doesn't know how to manipulate the machine to download a game, he knows someone who will do it, perhaps for a fee.

Keenan McAndrews, a freshman who was trained in technical support, said students "probably had what they wanted within the first week."

Now, he said, they continue to push the limits to see what they can do with the computers.

"It's a game for them."

SychoBC · Post by **SychoBC** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 9:55 pm

Why is this news? Breaking around security codes in school is nothing new.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:38 pm

It astonishes old people.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:50 pm

SychoBC wrote:Why is this news? Breaking around security codes in school is nothing new.

Basically because this goes to show that the laptops were and is a terrible idea. And I personally have to share the hate of my old high school rival.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:50 pm

"If they can't figure it out," said freshman Nicky Galde, "they take it to someone who knows."

"It's a game for them."

That's pretty funny. Take that you old, establishment people.

OmahaRules · Post by **OmahaRules** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:11 pm

Sounds like a lot of learning is going on though, just not the kind they thought would happen. Seriously what did they think was going to happen? Pretty stupid to give kids computers big waste of money if you ask me. What can you learn better from a computer that you couldn't without? I've been to school and about the only thing I would ever use my computer for was to type papers and do research and there are libraries and labs for that.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:48 pm

When I went to Westside back in the mid 1990's we were perfect little angles

When I was a freshman we had spelling tests and westside had one laser printer, "new technology", anyways my friends and I would type out our spelling words and print them out on the laser printer in size 3 font. then we would cut out the "little" list and tape them to our bic pen. Man I love technology.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:04 am

Hah, I used to do that in Spanish class.

Donde esta mi Tequila?

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:46 am

This doesn’t surprise me one bit, these network administrators are actually quite ignorant. When I was a freshman (at Grand Island High) i liked to crash the network a lot. When I was an upper classmen I became a lab rat and helped fix the problems they couldn’t fix. So my point is that these high-school administrators are actually quite ignorant and I am surprised at how little education they have. I am generalizing because I’m sure there some out there that are quite qualified.
Being such a tech savvy person I used to think that giving kids laptops was awesome, yet the more I thought about it the more it is unnecessary. With all the resources that the modern high school student has it is unnecessary. However the only cases that it may be necessary are for those who don’t have home PCs. But for the rest all they need is a thumb-drive and a pat on the head. Maybe it’s the PKI in me but I think making the kids run around transferring data and all the problem solving involved with this is good for them.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:54 am

I knew security was going to be an issue when I heard that students can get qualifiying service hours by volunteering to help admin the Macs. How long can you keep an Admin password a secret when 50+ students know it? Most of what the OWH reported as security break-ins are really work-arounds built into the MAC OS. Like changing the wallpaper. You need to have admin rights to MAC's control Panel, but if you know where the graphic resides on the hardrive (the Library folder) you can save a new wallpaper to the same place with the same name. Not really a "break in."

I'm also kind of curious as to what the students were soldering onto their MAC mother boards. As far as I know, any major MAC upgrade does NOT require soldering anything to the motherboard. Perhaps the OWH got MACs and PS2's confused?

I looked up Other World Computing for iBook Upgrades, and the only three upgrades available are RAM, Hardrive, and CDRom. None of these require any soldering on the MAC.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:23 pm

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. This is about as much a breach of security as it would be if someone left their car running with the door open and a sign in the window saying "Drive me."

-Big E

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:38 pm

People in Nebraska City just about do that. It amazes me.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:58 pm

Hah, people out here/there in West Omaha have done that too. I heard a story about how someone's Escalade was stolen because they left it running and unlocked in a strip mall close to my house. I've heard another story where someone left the keys to their brand new Denali in the ignition while it sat in an open garage and was jacked as well. Every once in a while while working outside at Target I'll find an unmand and running vehicle parked in our parking lot. I bet there would be less car jackings if people weren't so careless.

Bomaha · Post by **Bomaha** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 9:43 am

Yeah i go to Gross and we have a laptop program too but we have to buy them ourselves and we keep themafter we leave.

We have the same problem and i do the same things the kids at westside do.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:24 pm

Bomaha,
Do you have any idea what the Westside students are soldering to their MACS? I'm curious to find this out.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:32 am

They solder on a diode jumper so they can play old IIe games...ya know, rock the kasbah with LOGO and take the southern pass on Oregon Trail.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:41 pm

Really? The OWH said the students soldier the mother board to boost performance, not play old IIe games.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:15 pm

(shhhh, it was a joke, don't tell...)

lonnie · Post by **lonnie** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 12:02 pm

Expel the students I say!

In just a few years these 'students' will be working for companies that have 'rules' regarding their computer systems and networks. If those rules are violated they are no longer working!

Why can't our tax dollars be used to teach this concept to these students?

If schools want to setup a special hacking lab to teach network security, fine, but if you are caught hacking public property, BYE BYE!

It is that simple.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 12:28 pm

lonnie wrote:Expel the students I say!

In just a few years these 'students' will be working for companies that have 'rules' regarding their computer systems and networks. If those rules are violated they are no longer working!

Why can't our tax dollars be used to teach this concept to these students?

If schools want to setup a special hacking lab to teach network security, fine, but if you are caught hacking public property, BYE BYE!

It is that simple.

Zero tolerance, of in this case laptop misuse, is an ignorant policy. Expelling kids because they are smarter than Westside Admins?...There are bigger problems than personalized desktops and thumbdrives. Disciplining students for gross misuse- Remote Desktop, illegal file sharing (school very well could be liable if brought to court), gaming in class is very appropriate. If you don't live in District 66 its not your tax dollars paying for these computers. It seems apparent that a special hacking lab (which isn't what they're doing anyway) is moot because these "students" already have the know-how.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:01 pm

Expel the kids? Really? I wish my company could work together and communicate effectivly enough to get things done as well as these students do. I think the admins kept security too tight and fostered an enviornment that lead students to test the boundaries. How much money is spent by the administration keeping kids from changing the wallpaper on their desktops? If they had put the resources towards training insturctors and securing the real vulnerable areas of their netowork, instead of trivial things, they might not have all the problems that they are experiencing.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:37 pm

We got kids up here at PKI fresh out of high school that could hack circles around those students and we never had any malicious problems with them. I wonder what fosters this behavior.
Actually we have it pretty nice, our systems and networks are always running flawlessly thanks to the caliber of the student body. In fact there is no special logins, every machine is wide open. Other than ghosting them (for system health) nothing else needs to be done.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:25 pm

Actually we have it pretty nice, our systems and networks are always running flawlessly thanks to the caliber of the student body

are you talking about pki? because if you are you have to be joking. The network is always down and if you need to print something off you can bet that wont be up and running either. I learned my lesson not to print off homework at school the day it is due, ive tried to do that twice and both times the printers were down.

SychoBC · Post by **SychoBC** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:09 pm

Yea PKI is horrible. The only good thing about it is the amount of open computers to use.

rachelh · Post by **rachelh** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 2:40 pm

where there's a will there's a way.. always

there is no such thing as 100% secure

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:50 am

from this thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread. ... did=132310

comes this post (#22):

<<<<
I have a family member that goes to the Westside high school in Omaha, NE (one of apples showcase schools). He told me that a few weeks before school ended APPLE was their shooting comercials. He said that they were using large production type cameras, and high tech lighting. Interviewing students and other stuff.....
>>>>

Yes, I'm a Mac pseudo-zealot. (Or is it quasi? Semi?)

-Big E

Post by **Admin** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:35 am

(when we hear of the Apple -store- rumor... we'll put an Apple thread in the 'rumor' section ... this thread one belongs here.

)

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:13 am

D'oh! Sorry. I knew that, and I know I meant to post it in the rumor section... Don't know why I didn't... brainfart?

-Big E

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:21 pm

I was about to post this same rumor. I hope someone can validate it. ( I am a '97 Westside grad and a member of the Mac faithfull)

Funny mac quote of the day:
"Microsoft copying Apple is like a fat girl doing ballet. You can have the same moves, but you can't have the same style." HA!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:52 pm

I gratuated from westside in 96 and have always hated the mac, it must be one of those even/odd year things

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 1:37 pm

As an Apple stock holder, I'm a big fan of Apple. I'd never been to an Apple store until the one here (SF). I have to say that I was a bit dissapointed. It's not very flashy, just a couple of tables with Apple computers on them. Strange considering Apple markets their computers toward younger people and graphic designers.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:38 pm

Westside asked to give laptops to middle school students

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10381918

MICHAELA SAUNDERS WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Westside High School students are getting academic boosts from having laptops they can take home, and those benefits should be extended to middle school students, school board members were told today.

A formal proposal and vote on middle school laptops is expected next month. The board will be asked to spend $200,000 a year over three years to buy 500 laptops and related software and accessories for eighth-graders.

Board member Tom Baker spoke passionately about his enthusiasm for the program, saying he was prepared to back it 100 percent.

Surveys conducted during the past school year indicated strong parent support for expanding the district's one-laptop-per-student program to the middle school. A large majority of students at both the high school and the middle school said use of the laptop made school more interesting and helped them to do better in their class work.

MICHAELA SAUNDERS WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:During two and a half hours of testimony today, teachers and administrators told the board that Westside high school students are writing more and are more willing to revise what they've written. Students at the high school often are expected to do more before or after a lesson because of the online tools available to them.

Similar observations were made about the middle school's spring pilot program.

Middle school math teacher Lynn Spady said she saw chapter test scores increase during the pilot. She said she thought it was because she was able to put extra resources such as video tutors and related Web sites at students' fingertips online and students took advantage of the resources on their own time.

Taking the laptops home may have other benefits, too.

Neal Grandgenett, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has researched the district's laptop program for several years, analyzed the survey data along with student achievement and demographic information. His analysis, he said, indicated a strong relationship between home laptop use of high school students with the student's grade-point average, state writing and state math scores.

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