Two industry leaders, Dell and Texas Instruments, recently announced separate initiatives to aid local school systems.

Dell will donate up to 4,000 refurbished computer systems to school districts as part of the Dell Learn and Earn program. Based on the Denver, CO, public schools model, the program uses technology training and the promise of a student-built computer to keep at-risk middle school children in school, and focused on grades. Dell donated 500 computers to the Denver school system in support of this program.

Additionally, Dell is helping with curriculum development in order to build a blueprint to help school districts replicate the program. Dell expects to work with as many as 15 school districts within the next two years. Through the program, the Denver students received 40 hours of classroom training on how to take apart and assemble computers, load software, set up and run printers, upgrade hardware, diagnose and correct hardware problems and use the web. Upon completion, the students each received a computer and one year of free access to the Internet.

Texas Instruments (TI), Dallas, TX, has teamed up with the National Principal’s Resource Center to deliver professional development focusing on appropriate usage of classroom technology in elementary and middle school classrooms. TI and the center, a division of the National Association of Elementary School Principles, are sponsoring a speakers’ bureau, which supports the placement of well-known keynote speakers at state education conferences.

The hope is to increase attendance of middle school and elementary principals who can then successfully integrate technology into their schools’ curriculum. Additionally, TI will sponsor Technology Talk, a section of the Principal’s Electronic Desk online newsletter that provides tech news and insights for principals and professionals. TI will also develop Principal Packs to help principals incorporate technology into their schools’ math and science programs.

— WaferNews Staff Reports