Sue Armacost won a prize recently that will benefit Washington Elementary School students.
Armacost, Washington's computer lab manager, attended the Accelerated Learning conference in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 2-5, sponsored by Renaissance Learning Inc. She attended various sessions and some mini-sessions to qualify to win a grand prize. At the last session on the last day, Armacost found out she won.The grand prize includes 30 NEO 2 laptops by AlphaSmart/Renaissance Learning, the management and classroom software for the laptops and a lockable cabinet.
"The things I'm most excited about is the keyboard software and word processing," said Armacost.
Renaissance Learning Inc. District Account Executive, Hardware, Curt Brautigan said the laptops have classroom response to give teachers immediate feedback on tests and quizzes they give their students. The students can take true/false and multiple choice tests, and soon will have short answer capabilities.
"This is a good way (for teachers) to assess (student's progress) as they go," Brautigan said.
Armacost said teachers can design tests and quizzes on the teacher's machine and download them into the laptops. They also can randomize the questions.
"Students can't copy each other if they sit by each other," said Washington Principal Tom Ray.
Brautigan said the machines are affordable and portable, and kidproof. The machines don't have access to the Internet so that eliminates a lot of distractions that come with computers.
Ray said the laptops are lightweight and not big and bulky.
Brautigan said they weigh 2 pounds each and run on regular alkaline AA batteries, which can keep the laptops running for up to 700 hours. A booklet on the NEO laptops, provided by Brautigan, says the large LCD screen displays up to six lines of text per screen, has a full-size keyboard and wireless printing among some of its features.
To purchase one, it would cost $239, Brautigan said. Armacost won 30 of them, as well as the cabinet and software. Brautigan said what Armacost won is a $7,750 value.
In the Accelerated Reading program, students read a book and then take a quiz on the book. Students earn points from the quizzes they complete and the scores they earn. Accelerated Reading is a practice reading tool to help students with their reading, writing and keyboarding. Today, kids start typing in third grade.
Ray said the NEO laptops will help the school because Washington only has one computer room for 600 students. The laptops Armacost won don't need their own room and will help free up the existing computer room.
More information about Renaissance Learning and the NEO laptops can be found online at www.renlearn.com/neo
