Schools
Google Donates 3,000 Tablets to School District
Devices will be used by teachers and students in grades K-4.
Google has donated 3,000 Nexus tablets to the school district, Superintendent of Schools Jorden Schiff announced at Thursday’s school board meeting.
The devices will be given to all teachers and students in grades K-4, Schiff said. Teachers will receive them on Friday and start exploring them over the weekend.
The small devices, now retailing for more than $200, will remain the property of the school district.
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The district will have to purchase charging stations for the tablets, which are similar to Amazon’s Kindle.
“This is a rare opportunity,” Schiff said. “It’s a very exciting adventure.”
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Schiff did not detail how the tablets will be integrated into the curriculum, though one of the district’s goals goals is to facilitate a “culture shift” where computer technology is part of the normal school day.
In the dsitirct's One to One program, the school district aims to have a computer device in the hands of every student in grades 5-12 by the 2014-15 school year.
District students now have 300 iPads and 180 Chromebooks. The devices will use various Google aps, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Tasks and Google Docs.
