Hampton, Virginia is the latest school district to take delivery of Apple’s iBooks for its students. The pilot program recently gave an iBook to 120 students at Lindsay Middle School as Miriam Stawowy of the DailyPress tells us in a new article entitled 7th-graders get computers .
Hampton schools Superintendent Allen Davis sees the students as leaders and feels the computer program will increase computer literacy in the area. Davis also said he sees the program as one that “bridges the gap between those who have access and knowledge about computers and those who don’t.”
Hampton will allow the students to take the computers home after the family has gone through a training program. Internet access will also be controlled — for now, students will only be allowed to access the Internet in class. Davis indicated that home Internet access might be allowed at home next year.
“We know people have run into problems by allowing Internet access,” Davis said. “When we do, we will make sure there are many firewalls, alarms and whistles.”
Referencing the recent publicity of Henrico County, Lindsay Middle School’s principal, Carol Mann, said Henrico was an example of the things that could go wrong. That’s why the district is starting a small pilot program, offering training and setting the ground rules.
Mann said this was just the beginning and that the school plans to expand on the program in the coming school years, if all goes well with the pilot program.