The Dell Mini-note laptop project is an extension of the TAC  1-1 learning project team during the 2007-2008 school year. Last April, the 1-1 learning project studied the effects of having one laptop per child in two out of three science 8th grade classrooms at Brown Middle School.  Two vendors (Apple and HP) graciously loaned enough laptops for each child to use during science class for 7 weeks. One classroom used MacBooks and the other used HP tablets.  The student outcomes of this pilot were very positive.  Students benefited in the following ways:

• Improved student performance
• Differentiated instruction 
• Improved student focus
• Higher level of student understanding and motivation
• Enhanced student-teacher communication
• Improving technology skills

(See attachment for full report to NPS? School Committee)

Lastest update:
We received 28 macbooks on loan from Apple and will be using them for one 8th grade science classroom at Brown to support two science units. We are meeting 2/20/08 with the teacher to define our assessments before and after each unit as well as the final student product.

We also heard we will be able to borrow tablet pcs by the end of the month. We are working on the logistics of that loan to see if we can fit it in this late in the year. We are still hoping to borrow some ultaportables.