[Yr7-10it] netbooks being distributed to every year 5 and 6 studentin northern victoria primary schools

[Baird, Anne P]

Hi Bill

I am managing the netbook Trial in our region, Loddon Mallee, Victoria. (also Rob Costello's region) We have rolled out 4,400 netbooks to date which gives every Grade 6 student and 40% of Grade 5 students access to a netbook. All the Grade 6 students are leasing the netbooks from the schools and DEECD for $52 per year and will take them from school to home each day therefore  having 24/7 access. The netbooks are Lenovo S9s and come with an image that includes Vista as the OS, the MS suite of tools, Kahootz and a wide range of open source educational software. At the end of 3 years, parents/ students will have the option to buy the netbook with their final lease payment of $52. A total of $156.

DEECD and the regions are providing a range of professional development opportunities for teachers in the trial. We are using a range of research strategies to assess and document the trial. There are three other regions who are participating in the trial as well. With the other two country regions  trialling with Grade 5 students. Our netbooks will go with the students to secondary college next year so we have the added challenge of supporting the Secondary teachers as well.

I hope this helps and let me know if there is anything else you would like to know.


Anne Baird
1-to-1 Netbook Project Manager
Loddon Mallee Region

-----Original Message-----
From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Costello, Rob R
Sent: Mon 3/23/2009 10:23 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] netbooks being distributed to every year 5 and 6 studentin northern victoria primary schools
 
HI Bill 
 
its been on the cards for ages and seems finally official 
 
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/ict/netbooks/netbook-parent-brochure.pdf
 
i've seen the models  (or at least the same model and software image that one of the schools here had prepurchased) - Lenovo - i don't know the exact brand - 1.6 Ghz chip i think 
running vista and seemed suprisingly responsive
 
afraid i'd choose them, and the software image, over the XO / OLPC sugar environment that might have indirectly influenced the design of the netbook market
 
cheers
 
rob 

  _____  

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Bill Kerr
Sent: Mon 3/23/2009 12:04 AM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Yr7-10it] netbooks being distributed to every year 5 and 6 studentin northern victoria primary schools


netbooks being distributed to every year 5 and 6 student in northern victoria primary schools

press release
http://candybroadcountry.blogspot.com/2009/02/hi-tech-mini-netbooks-to-boost-learning.html

brochure to parents (pdf)
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/ict/netbooks/netbook-parent-brochure.pdf

Anyone have more information about this? I'm preparing a talk about the potential of netbooks for my school staff and for the CEGSA conference in July (I'll post my notes somewhere in due course, still at the research stage)

-- 
Bill Kerr
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/
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