“Maplewood Middle School will be the first of 54 schools in the state [of Louisiana] to receive laptop computers through the Turn On To Learning education initiative,” Heather R. White reports for The American Press.
“The initiative provides Apple MacBook laptops to two classes of sixth-grade students in each school district in the state. Fifty students and four teachers at Maplewood received nearly $70,000 worth of technology last Wednesday,” White reports.
“‘TOTL delivers on my promise to provide laptops to middle schools,’ said Blanco. ‘It is a beginning and one that future policymakers can’t retreat from.’ She said all Louisiana schools will one day feature laptop computers,” White reports.
“According to Blanco, Apple developed the “digital backpack” laptop package specifically for the program. The laptops have wireless capabilities that allow for connection to overhead projectors and are equipped with the latest software,” White reports. “The state has appropriated $5 million in hardware and software for the program.”
“Blanco said the 3,530 students and 153 teachers receiving the laptops will provide a tremendous amount of insight. The state has provided the same laptops to district personnel, state colleges of education and technical centers to provide a network of support,” White reports.
Full article here.
The Sulphur Southwest Daily News also covers the story here.
Louisiana’s Turn on to Learning website (Made on a Mac, naturally) is here.
More info about Apple Macs in Education here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mr. Mac” for the heads up.]
Excellent job, State of Louisiana….
Now just imagine how positive this would be had it taken place in a state that actually matters.
Go Apple. Go Mac. Go LSU Tigers
In my state (KY) all the schools are pulling Macs out and replacing with Dell and IBM PCs. I feel sorry for the students and teacher who have to suffer.
Students and teachers. My bad.
So for some lucky students in Louisiana, this means they want to bayou a Mac and all that jazz!
I guess that’s because Windows just kept cajun ’em in?
I guess KY thinks it’s important that kids learn anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-phishing skills early. There’s probably a course on defragmenting and registry cleaning too.
@ Way to Go!
I’m trying to figure out if that burst about a state ‘not mattering’ was tongue in cheek or not, and frankly can’t figure it out.
Nice post, though. Too bad it didn’t come from a poster that matters.
Twice in one day, hooray!
Once schools go (back) to Mac, they’ll never go back to not Mac!?!
Not quite, oh well.
MDN magic word: SOUTHERN… as in Southern states know best, Mac is educational magic!
“Now just imagine how positive this would be had it taken place in a state that actually matters.”
Typical statement from a scumbag that doesn’t have the guts to use a handle. I live and raise my children in Louisiana, therefore it matters. Where do you live, “way to go”? Wherever it is, I’m sure it’s the epicenter of culture.
Wow: I live in Louisiana and never heard about this. Truth be told, though, I’m not that familiar with Maplewood, either.
@ Way to Go!
“Now just imagine how positive this would be had it taken place in a state that actually matters.”
I bet George Bush is your hero.
Idiot.
Hey, where’s Tower Tone’s comment? If I remember right, he lives there. Louisiana that is.
@ Cubert, I think he’s close by in Texas, but he’s very familiar w/ my locale.
So here we have White reporting on Blanco!
Are you sure it’s not just one person?
Poor frost plays his/her hand, but reveals what he/she is really all about… hatred.
Give the politics a rest already, everyone already knows the left has only meanness, spite, hatred and the race card to play, and we didn’t need you to remind us.
Poor Bob, assuming he/she knows what he/she is talking about. Apparently Dubya is his/her hero too. And who is this “everybody” and this “we” that knows all about this nasty left? Maybe he/she should take a poll of this forum. “Give politics a rest”? Oh please. I’d better stop now before the meanness and hatred makes him/her start to cry.
Hey, guys
Sorry I am late to the post. And, yes, it IS a state that matters. A lot of culture….and energy production.
Congrats again to the entire state for electing Bobby Jindal!!!
http://www.bobbyjindal.com/docs/articles/Bobby-Jindal-Victory-Speech.html
Right, Thor, I am from Texas with some roots in Louisiana. I now live in Arkansas. (thanks for being close, Cubert)
I left out at 7 CST this morning, drove across Arkansas, went through a sliver of northern LA., (while listening to Moon Griffon)
http://www.moongriffon.com/
crossed the Mighty Mississippi, relamped a 500 footer, and then drove 5.5 hours back home. The view into LA from across the river and up a notch was spectacular!
And frost, we’ve had plenty of polls around here. Dubya is a big hero of mine, I have no qualms admitting it. He seems to have gained a new respect from some European leaders, much to the dismay of many leftists. Go figure.
OK, I’m tired now….
By “some European leaders” I assume you mean Sarkozy. I’m sure the Iranians are scared silly at the idea of France coming around to Dubya’s way of thinking (which really does scares the French people, no doubt). And I don’t believe many “leftists” have much dismay at that rather than amusement, maybe, at the desperation of such a straw-clutching attempt to salvage the legacy of a ruined presidency.
Next time you drive “through a sliver of northern LA.”, take a minute (if you can fit it in) to think about New Orleans and how valiantly your “big hero” handled an American city in crisis. Seems to me that he shares the opinion that Louisiana is not a “state that actually matters”.
Oops, there I go with the “hatred” again! Silly me.
Sleep well…
frost
Had to tidy up a bit, so here goes.
The French people elected Sarkozy knowing full well his views on America. Nice try. And let’s not discount the Germans or the British, OK?
And, no, the leftist hate the attention, as they do any success America has while Bush is in office.
Thanks for the condescending remark about Louisiana. Would you care to aim any of that “hatred” towards Blanco or Nagin, the real culprits (if you know anything about States responsibilities) behind the disaster that they dumped on Bush? The entire system broke down under this situation, but many would rather just blame Bush rather than look at any of the facts. That is no way to fix anything. Hopefully, Louisiana will come in line with states like Florida, Texas and Mississippi for disaster preparedness.
But, you know, you seem a little too smug to really give a dam. “Let’s blame someone, feel better about ourselves, and not get anything done”. Nice credo.
oh nurse ratchet! add another 3600 to the insane list
Knowing Sarkozy’s views and agreeing with them are not the same. His “views on America” were not what got him elected, he was elected in spite of them. Nice try. Germany and Great Britain? “Success America has while Bush is in office”? What have you been smoking?
Blanco and Nagin “the real culprits”? Wow, I didn’t see that coming. Yes, states also have responsibilities. Blanco may have been slow to request federal assistance, but Bush et al were disastrously slow to provide it. And that is a fact. The failures of the federal government were the reason so many people died. To hear the old “Blanco and Nagin were the real culprits” routine trotted out again is just cynical and sorry. Turn off the talk radio and try thinking for yourself for a change.
And you are not qualified to accuse me of being condescending and smug about Louisiana. Come to New Orleans, or Chalmette, or anywhere in St. Bernard Parish, and talk to the people who actually still live here. Ask them how their lives are going now, more than two years later. Ask them who they blame, and if it helps them feel better about themselves, and if anything is getting done. The word “credo” has very little bearing on real life.
But there’s comfort in knowing that you, and people like you, are a minority (about 31%, actually) and that real change will come soon. And not just for Louisiana.
No, frost, you tell me.
Tell me what EXACTLY Bush is doing to stop the rebuilding.
Tell me EXACTLY what you want changed.
Tell me EXACTLY who needs to make those changes.
Tell me EXACTLY why Bush is NOT doing it.
Be responsible.
I am not your teacher or your parent. I can’t be responsible for what you do and do not know. I can’t be responsible for what and how you think. Do some research. Read a newspaper or a book sometime. Learn some critical thinking skills. But most of all, don’t take my word for it. You don’t live very far from here. Come down here and see for yourself. Talk to the people here about your demands for proof. Just do it, if you’re really interested at all. I promise you’ll learn something, but I doubt it’ll change you.
You’re responsible for yourself.
Thanks, frost. I’ll take that as “uh, I got nuthin'”.
Those are simple questions. If the answers are so obvious, share them. Enlighten us. It is what a forum is for. Change my mind. Show me the light. I don’t see the facts anywhere. You have that power. Seriously, I want to know.
Be honest.
You’re welcome, TT. I’ll take that as “I’m not interested.”
They are simple questions, and the answers are everywhere. If you have an aversion to libraries, try to Google “katrina rebuilding”. And you’re wrong about forums. I do not have the power to change your mind or show you the light. Only you can do that. You don’t see the facts because you don’t want to. Seriously, I mean that.
Be honest with yourself.