Kent School District (KSD), Washington, initiated an experimental program to teach and learn with tablet PCs in 2005. The Curriculum Update column of the May, 2007, issue of the online District Administrator: The Magazine for K-12 Education Leaders offers an intriguing summary of progress teachers and students have made with their mobile PCs.
The project has changed the way teachers teach and how students access information at school and home. It has increased parent participation and student responsibility while decreasing discipline problems. Students are responsible for the same tablet throughout their school stay. If repairs are needed, loaner machines are available, but the students always get their original tablets back. The project will be replicated throughout the entire district within the next four years.
The district’s Technology Integration Resources page offers an excellent array of links for K through 12th grade teachers to use. Teachers from other schools might find at least the topics as good keywords to search for more information and resources for using mobile PCs in classes.
Kudos, KSD teachers for making your experiment into a district wide initiative.