No one knows better than Superintendent Matthew Oliver of SAD 4 how Maine might integrate laptops in schools to provide students with opportunities for learning they otherwise would miss. His recent report on the experiences of teachers and eighth-graders at Piscataquis Community Middle School, which

has led the state in making laptops a part of learning, gives educators a detailed account

of what works and what they might avoid.

Some key issues SAD 4 addressed:

. Most striking about Superintendent Oliver’s report is the amount of teacher training needed to make the program work. Guilford of Maine donated $100,000 to SAD 4 that in 2000 allowed them to buy 120 iBook and Powerbook computers. Since then, the district, which had emphasized computer training for several years before receiving this gift, has spent another $100,000 in grants to bring in teachers during vacations, summers and weekends and provide training in addition to an initial three-day “boot camp.”

. Laptops stay in school at PCMS, and before students get to use them, parents and students must read and sign a set of rules and expectations. This, along with a hands-on test, gives students an “Internet Drivers License,” which can be revoked if misused. By reminding students that their computer use is being monitored, however, Superintendent Oliver reports that revocation is rarely necessary.

. More than just an easy way to look up information, laptop technology “levels the playing field for SAD 4 students,” says Mr. Oliver, meaning that it provides learning programs that would otherwise never be available to a rural school. He adds, “it unleashes individualized learning that allows students to be actively engaged in projects that truly capture their attention.” Like what? Like making world geography come alive with real-time video and primary sources from around the globe. Like history that includes interactive reenactments of the Battle of Gettysburg. Like art classes that take virtual tours of the world’s greatest museums.

The amount of teacher participation and training in the program at SAD 4 suggests how necessary it is for teachers to embrace this idea for it to work. From teacher comments and letters, it is clear that many of them would prefer that the technology initiative went away and the money spent elsewhere in education. This issue of teacher buy-in, more than whether students drop the machines in a puddle or misuse e-mail, will determine the success or failure of the idea. If teachers see laptops as one more classroom burden, one more duty to meet between meeting state recertification requirements, Learning Results requirements, fingerprint requirements and, not incidentally, actually teaching, the laptops will look like an expensive flop.

SAD 4 seemed to pursue its laptop experience with enthusiasm, ensuring that teachers were directly involved in the process from an initial grant for computers in 1999 through as much training as was needed to help teachers feel comfortable using the computers as an integral part of their curricula. The state Department of Education says it understands the need for teacher training and has budgeted for it. That’s a great start; it might also set something aside for getting a large supply of that SAD 4 enthusiasm.