“When school begins Sept. 15, the Denali Borough School District will become the first in Alaska to provide a laptop computer for every student in grades 9 through 12. A total of 129 laptop computers are being prepared to hand over to high schoolers at Tri-Valley, Anderson and Cantwell schools,” Kris Capps reports for The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

“This ‘one-on-one initiative’ is the result of a partnership between the Denali Borough School District and Apple Computer, and is based on programs in other states, particularly in Virginia and in Maine,” Capps reports. “Each student will be issued a computer the first two days of school. Three trainers from Apple Computers will be on hand to instruct students and parents in details of care, maintenance and handling. Written ‘Laptop Rules of the Road’ will be provided, along with contracts for use that parents and students must sign.”

“Parents must attend a meeting about the program before their child can check out a computer. Each computer is a wireless Macintosh G4 Powerbook with a 12-inch screen, and a carrying case for protection. ‘Wireless gives students connectivity throughout the building,’ according to Kevin Cole, the district’s new technology wizard. ‘They don’t have to be tethered to wires.’ The computers contain software for word processing, spread sheets and Powerpoint presentations,” Capps reports.

Full article here.