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June 15, 2001
Frequently Asked Questions
Any given focus group generates its own set of questions based on the projects proposed for its school or district. This model FAQ shows some of the most common concerns you'll face from members of your school community and how specific, informed responses can relieve your constituencies' reservations.
The Anytown Public Schools Laptop Computer Project
What is the laptop project?
This new technology project proposes to give every student and teacher at the middle school level a wireless laptop computer. They will be able to use these sturdy laptops to connect to the Internet, send e-mail, and use a wide variety of standard business software programs including word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. They will also be able to take these laptops home each night, thereby extending learning beyond the traditional school day.
How much is this project going to cost and how will it be paid?
There are a couple of different options that can affect the overall price of the project. If it is phased in over three years it will cost $400,000 per year, for a total of $1.2 million. If we phase it in over two years it will cost $450,000 per year, but we will get a 25% savings through an increased volume purchase. The possible options for funding range from taking the money directly out of the operating budget to financing through a third-party lender or floating a special bond. Of course we will actively be seeking federal and state grants and local business partnerships to help offset the cost.
Which schools or classes will get the project first?
We will begin implementation in the fifth grades at both of Anytown's middle schools.
Wireless laptops? How does that work?
There are two possible wireless options: one is infrared (IR) and the other is radio frequency (RF). IR is just like your cable remote control and uses invisible beams of light. RF uses radio waves similar to your cellular phone. In both cases they connect and communicate with a central computer (called the server) that handles Internet, e-mail, and other network activity.
Aren't there dangers from the RF energy cellular phones use?
While there have been some scattered studies that suggest there may be medical problems stemming from excessive cell phone usage, none of these findings are conclusive. In any case, these laptops generate one thousandth the RF energy of a cell phone. And remember, students will be using the laptops at arm's length, not pressed up against their heads.
Didn't we just wire up the classrooms and buy a bunch of new desktop computers last year? What happens to them?
The wiring currently in place will become an important part of the new system. Old desktops will be used at the elementary schools to expand our program there and help prepare students for wireless computing in the middle schools.
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