A: The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative (BWLI) is an exciting 1:1 laptop program (one laptop for every student and teacher) that will help improve student achievement and transform the way education is delivered in the North Adams and Pittsfield Middle Schools. As a result of BWLI, we anticipate that both students and teachers will become more engaged in the educational process. Students will have an opportunity to improve their academic and research skills, learn to work more effectively in groups, and gain tools for enhancing their creativity.

Q: Who is participating in BWLI?

A: The participating schools are Silvio O. Conte Middle School in North Adams and Herberg Middle School, Reid Middle School, St. Mark School, and St. Joseph High School (eighth grade students only) in Pittsfield. Over 2,300 students and teachers at these schools are part of the Initiative. This is a pilot program that could ultimately result in the introduction of other similar programs throughout the state.

Q: Besides the schools, who are some of the other project partners and what are their roles?

A: BWLI is a collaboration among educators, government, and business.

Berkshire Connect, Inc. is providing project management for the initiative.
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative oversees fiscal management of state funds for BWLI and is coordinating an evaluation study.
The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is coordinating professional development for teachers and is also developing specialized graduate school offerings. Their VP of Administration and Finance provides overall leadership to the Initiative as co-chair of the Steering Committee.
The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is overseeing marketing and private sector fundraising. Their VP/COO provides overall leadership to the Initiative as co-chair of the Steering Committee.
The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation provides fiscal management of private funds.
Business partners are assisting with project planning, marketing and fundraising.

Q: Why is this Initiative being piloted in Berkshire County? Is it because of test scores?

A: Former State Representative Peter Larkin spearheaded an effort in 2003 to enable the Berkshires to pilot a 1:1 program for Massachusetts schools. North Adams and Pittsfield were selected as the testing ground for several reasons. Piloting a 1:1 program in these two communities engages a significant population of the middle school students from the Berkshires. School representatives and business community representatives had demonstrated an eagerness to collaboratively introduce a 1:1 program based upon visits to Maine and efforts already underway in the schools.

Each of the participating middle schools has made a commitment to utilize technology to enhance education. The schools all have strong teams of administrators and teachers who are dedicated to working together to implement this Initiative. The business community urged elected officials to accelerate the adoption of a 1:1 approach and pledged to help raise funds. A successful program will create new opportunities for teaching and learning. We anticipate many types of good outcomes from this transition to a 1:1 approach, including improved test scores and a more motivated student.

Q: What kind of laptops are the students using?

A: The students are using Apple iBook G4 laptops that are designed especially to withstand use in a school environment. Some of the features of these laptops are a 12.1 inch display, a 1.2 GHz processor, and 512 MB of RAM. Each laptop comes equipped with a protective sleeve and charging unit.

Q: When did the students receive their laptops?

A: As of December 2006, all of the students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade had received their laptops. During the 2005-06 school year, the first set of student laptops were distributed to seventh graders in January 2006. During the 2006-07 school year, laptops were distributed to the same set of students as eighth graders in September and October. Sixth and seventh graders received their laptops in November and December 2006. When students graduate from eighth grade, they will return their laptops to the school and the laptops will be given to incoming sixth graders the following year. The laptops are the property of the schools.

Q: How are the laptops being used in the classroom?

A: Teachers are integrating laptops into their teaching in different ways and at different paces. . Students are using technology to conduct research for reports and term papers, put together multimedia projects, and produce graphs and charts. Some teachers may ask students to explore educational websites that help them master course content. Other teachers are creating journal assignments that require students to use the laptop to respond to textbook readings. Still other teachers have created class web pages where students can link to online activities that support course content.

Q: What types of software applications will the students use?

A: Students have access to a variety of software programs that can help them write, set up spreadsheets, draw, or develop multimedia projects that include features such as a movie or music. The main software packages that students are using on the laptops are the Safari web browser, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, Nettrekker, and the World Book Encyclopedia.

Q: What kind of training is being provided to teachers?

A: The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts coordinates professional development for teachers, working closely with the technical staff in the schools and with Apple Computer. Teachers have had many opportunities to learn how to use the laptop computers. Professional development sessions led by district technology integration specialists, by educational consultants, and by Apple Computer have helped teachers to learn how to integrate applications such as Word, Excel, MacJournal, and I-Photo into their teaching. Ongoing cross-district project meetings enable teachers to share their new learning with one another.

Q: What is the role of student iTeams?

A: Each school has designated a group of students to serve on an iTeam, which offers technology support for teachers and students in the building. Students on the iTeam assist each school’s technology staff in providing ongoing support for BWLI and in some cases help teachers develop curriculum. They are being trained in the most current educational computer applications. iTeam members are being carefully selected by each school and are a vital part of the Initiative.

Q: Will other schools in the county be getting laptops through BWLI?

A: The pilot program includes only the middle schools in Pittsfield and North Adams. A critical part of the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative is the ongoing evaluation of the pilot program, which will help to determine if similar programs are introduced in other school systems throughout Massachusetts.

Q: How is BWLI being evaluated?

A: Berkshire County is very fortunate to be host to an evaluation study that represents the first truly comprehensive and in-depth examination of the impacts of 1:1 computing on the education process. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative has selected Boston College's Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative, housed in the Lynch School of Education, to conduct a three-year evaluation of BWLI. The study is measuring how successfully the program has achieved its goals. Some of the methods that are being used in the evaluation study are teacher and student surveys, classroom observations, student drawings, teacher interviews, and analysis of school tracking data and assessments. More information about inTASC is available on their website: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/.

Q: Can students take their laptops home? Will they be charged a fee?

A: Giving students access to their laptops at home is an important part of BWLI, but also comes with responsibilities. Individual schools will determine at what point students will be given the privilege to take their laptop home each year. Parents will be required each year to review and sign off on the school’s Take Home Policy. A fee of $50 per year is being charged to students for the privilege of taking their laptops home. This fee may be prorated to a lower amount if students receive their laptops sometime after the start of the school year. We will ensure that the fee does not become a barrier to a student’s participation.

Q: Can family members use the laptops?

A: Family members are highly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the laptops when students bring them home. They will be expected to review and follow policy guidelines that explain how to care for the laptops and safely access the Internet. Parental supervision is essential when students us the laptops at home. Investigation of other 1:1 programs suggests that in the home, children are helping parents adapt to this powerful technology.

Q: When are the laptops maintained and updated?

A: Students may be asked to turn the laptops in during school vacations. They will also return the laptop to the school at the end of the school year. During these time periods, routine maintenance may be done on the laptops and software will be updated.

Q: When are the laptop batteries charged?

A: When students take their laptops home, they are expected to bring them to school the next day fully charged. When the laptops remain at school, charging stations will be made available.

Q: What if a laptop is damaged, lost or stolen?

A: Students are expected to abide by the Apple iBook Guidelines that have been distributed. Following these guidelines will help to ensure that the laptops are cared for properly. Laptops that are damaged while on school property will either be repaired under the Apple warranty or in some cases replaced. Students may lose their laptop privileges for a period of time if their laptop is damaged due to neglect. Stolen laptops will be reported to the police. The schools have also developed Take Home policies that guide students in caring for their laptops at home to minimize the possibility of damage or loss. Parents and students will be required to sign off on these policies.

Q: What kinds of safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the laptops by students?

A: Every student and parent is required to sign off on their school's Acceptable Use Policy, which describes guidelines for safely accessing the Internet while using the laptops. Each school uses content filters, but these do not block 100% of inappropriate material. Teachers and parents need to also play a role in supervising students' safe use of the Internet. The schools have conducted or are planning to conduct Internet safety training sessions for teachers, students and parents. Teachers will be trained to oversee the safe use of the laptops while students are in school and parents will be expected to ensure that they are used safely at home.

Q: How does the laptop address the requirements of students with special needs?

A: A Universal Access control panel is provided on the operating system (Mac OS X) of the iBook to make specific accessibility features easy to locate. These are examples of such features: 1) For students who have difficulty seeing objects on the computer screen, there are different screen contrasts; 2) A flash screen feature provides visual cues for students who have hearing impairments; 3) Speech recognition technology allows students to do anything on the laptops that could be done by double clicking; and 4) The "Mouse Keys" feature allows students to use the numeric keypad in place of the mouse. For more information about accessibility options, refer to: http://www.apple.com/education/accessibility/technology/

Q: How is BWLI funded?

A: This three-year program is supported by a combination of state, private, and school funding. The state has designated $2.5 million toward the Initiative. An additional $1.1 million will be raised from the private sector. The schools are providing approximately $1.7 million, which represents both a cash contribution and dedicated staffing for BWLI. State support for the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative has been provided through the John Adams Innovation Institute, the economic development division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

Q: Is more local fundraising needed?

A: BWLI must raise additional funds to complete payments on the equipment. There is a commitment from business leaders to lead the fundraising effort to a successful conclusion. Our experience is that the community has been very generous so far. Local businesses know how to step up to the plate when the benefits are clear.

Q: Will the Initiative continue after three years?

A: Each of the participating school systems is contributing its own resources to BWLI and is strongly committed to sustaining the Initiative. During the initial three years of BWLI, the school systems will be restructuring their technology budgets so that they can be self-sustaining by the fourth year.

Q: How are the Catholic Schools of Pittsfield being funded?

A: The Catholic Schools of Pittsfield are full participants in BWLI, but will not receive any state funding. Their participation is supported by funds from the school and from private contributors.

Q: How much did each laptop cost?

A: The cost of each iBook, including a full array of software packages, an asset management program, and a comprehensive warranty and maintenance package, is approximately $1,100. As part of this price, we are guaranteed that the hardware and software will be the most currently available technology at the time of each purchase. Each laptop will be used for a minimum of three years, which breaks down to a cost of $367 per year.

Q: Is BWLI still planning to put Wi-Fi hotspots in local community centers and libraries?

A: The Berkshire Athenaeum and the North Adams Public Library have installed wireless networks throughout their buildings. If funds are available, we will work with other local community organizations to install Wi-Fi hotspots.

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Keeping the Wireless Learning Initiative alive: (The Berkshire Eagle)Drury begins pilot laptop program: (North Adams Transcript)Wireless initiative reaches $1 million goal: (iBerkshires.com)Passing with high grades: (The Berkshire Eagle)An element of fun: teacher blends the periodic table with Facebook: (The Berkshire Eagle)

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