The Piscataquis Community Middle School IBook Initiative. At PCMS we are starting a very important journey. Last fall 3 teachers (Thelma Regan, Crystal Priest and Ann Dall) wrote a technology grant to the State of Maine. We received the money and were able to purchase 17 IBooks from Apple. IBooks are portable laptop computers as capable as any desktop style computer. We have set up the use of these computers involving a wireless network utilizing airports in different locations in the building. This enables the computers to be used anywhere in the building for email, making documents, presentations, accessing the server, using software and connecting to the internet. Our 8th graders used these as a pilot project for the entire 99-00 school year. Earlier that summer the governor had proposed his laptop iniative to the state asking the legislature to consider funding laptop computers for all 7th graders in the state. This is still being debated. Guilford of Maine sent employees to a conference and listened to the governor speak. They came back to Guilford of Maine and suggested to management the possiblity of helping SAD#4 in this type of capacity. Mary Alyce Higgins from Guilford of Maine called Superintendent Norman Higgins and asked how they could help. After consulting with Principal Greg Bellemare and staff the IBook iniative was decided as the best method. A proposal to give $100,000 over 2 years to be matched by the school system was given to SAD#4. The district board of directors agreed to use matching federal funds. At year 1, PCMS has purchased 100 IBooks for students. This allows all 8th graders to have at their access an Ibook throughout the day. The IBooks stay at the school for safety, recharging and maintenance. The current 7th grade has approximately 30 ibooks that are shared on a daily basis. The 5th and 6th grades share another 25. The plan on year 2 is another big expenditure that will enable all students grades 5 thru 8 to have the access to a wireless ibook daily. The big difference between PCMS and any other school in the country is the wireless component. The benefits from this are the flexibility to diversify teaching and learning, increase accessibility and capabilities of instant research plus increase students technological capacity. A few other benefits are tutorial programs, portfolio building and individualized learning. Our belief is that students will learn better from this iniative. They will leave SAD#4 with greater technological abilities than other students in the state. This in turn will give the Piscataquis region a better trained work force for the future. The staff at PCMS is very enthusiastic about this project and believes in its benefits. There will be 10 days of staff training this year involving the iBooks and the integration of technology into the classroom. Apple Computer and Seed (Maine Center for Education) worked with the staff for 3 days in the summer as the first part of their training. Through the forward thinking of many at SAD#4 and the generosity of Guilford of Maine plus the help of Apple and Seed great things will happen. Please feel free to come in and talk with us about the IBook Program.