HP today added new products to the HP Digital Learning Suite and announced that the Derry Township School District of Hershey, Pa., has chosen HP notebook PCs for the expansion of its one-to-one computer program to schools throughout the district.
During a media luncheon at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2011 conference with education customers and HP executives, Al Harding, director of Technology at the Derry Township School District, discussed details of the program, including classroom application, achievement scores and professional development for educators.
Also at the luncheon, HP introduced the following products as part of the HP Digital Learning Suite to the education market:
— HP TouchPad with webOS, which HP is demonstrating to educators for the first time at ISTE
— HP EliteBook 2760p with multitouch technology and convertible options to use as a tablet
— HP Z210 Small Form Factor Workstation with educational applications in a space-saving design
— HP 3105m Notebook PC for students who need a full-feature notebook at an affordable price
— HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients that enhance student learning while helping to reduce schools’ overall management and maintenance costs
— HP Mobile Calculating Lab, an easy-to-use classroom solution that helps bring math and science to life
HP additionally announced that three large school districts have chosen HP Networking solutions to improve network performance and keep pace with the demands of thousands of students and faculty.
Derry Township one-to-one computer program expands
Derry Township is changing the way teachers teach and students learn through the integration of technology in the classroom. Beginning in middle school, students are using HP notebooks to complete lessons in subjects such as writing and math. For example, students can write in online journals that they submit to their teachers electronically for feedback, or gather information and download images online and collaboratively write a narrative on their own computers.(1)
"Since implementing the computer program, our district has seen writing test scores increase at an impressive rate among middle school students,” said Harding. “The program has been praised by teachers, students and parents alike, and we’re looking forward to expanding it to additional schools in our district.”
Due to the program’s initial success, this fall it will expand into the high school and additional schools throughout the district. To ensure the program’s continued success, teachers are enrolled in professional development classes that go beyond learning how to use the HP notebook to truly integrating technology into lesson plans.
HP Digital Learning Suite products
The HP TouchPad with webOS is a versatile education tool that helps create a more collaborative and interactive learning environment. The HP TouchPad offers easy access to the web, allowing teachers to illustrate abstract concepts with online resources.(2) Teachers and students have a next-level multitasking experience, premium audio playback with stereo speakers and Beats Audio™ technology, and the ability to find information on the device or in the cloud using the Just Type feature.
As a traditional notebook, the HP EliteBook 2760p offers a touch-enabled display for input and a spill-resistant keyboard with drains. When in tablet mode, the HP EliteBook 2760p converts digitally handwritten notes to text or sends them as they are to classmates and teachers. Students can use their fingers on the screen to navigate applications, turn pages and complete tasks on the go.
HP Mobile Calculating Lab
The HP Mobile Calculating Lab enables students to connect concrete experiences directly to abstract math and science concepts. The lab’s lightweight, compact measurement tools are ideal for field experiments, extending the learning environment beyond the confines of the classroom. Experiments and lesson plans are available at no additional cost on the Teacher Experience Exchange website.
Teaching with technology
The HP 3105m Notebook PC offers students a full-feature notebook with complete functionality at an affordable price of $449.(3) The HP 3105m starts at less than 3.5 pounds, includes a full-size keyboard and has up to 9.5 hours of battery life.(4)The new HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients deliver an unmatched combination of flexibility and affordability to the zero client market and offer intelligent capabilities that allow end users to be up and running in seconds with no configuration or management required on the device side, helping to reduce IT costs dramatically. Schools worldwide have turned to HP Thin Client education solutions for rich computing experiences that give teachers and administrators control and enhance student learning, while helping schools stay within budget by reducing overall management and maintenance costs.
HP Catalyst initiative grants
HP also expanded the HP Catalyst initiative – run out of the HP Office of Global Social Innovation – to 56 members with the addition of 21 new organizations and a new “STEM-preneur” consortium that will be led by Tsinghua University.
Each organization is receiving a grant valued at more than $150,000 and will join the prestigious international network of leading educators who are exploring innovations in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for secondary and post-secondary students. The initial five consortia are leading ground-breaking educational research in the following areas: The Multi-Versity, Pedagogy 3.0, Global Collaboratory, The New Learner and Measuring Learning.
The new STEM-preneur consortium will explore how technical education can be combined with the passion of entrepreneurship. In addition, students from University of the People, the world’s first tuition-free, online academic institution, will work with the Catalyst network through internships within the consortia on projects across a number of education technology areas. HP has invested more than $10 million across 15 countries since the launch of the HP Catalyst initiative in 2010. A complete list of funded organizations is available at www.hp.com/go/hpcatalyst. More information on HP education products and solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/k12.About
