Document text
Butte Falls school gets computer grant By Vicki Guarino BUTTE FALLS � Elementary students� route to the Internet is about to get a lot smoother and faster. The elementary school is one of about two dozen receiving federal grants for computers. The plan in Butte Falls, says Principal Scott Bennighof, is to use new computers to work on students� writing skills. "We didn�t want to just add computers," Bennighof says. "Our goal is to use the computers and software to improve students� writing skills. And that, hopefully, will be reflected in the state (achievement) tests." Butte Falls Elementary received a $59,000 federal technology grant, the Oregon Department of Education announced last week. The money targets low-income communities around the country that might otherwise fall behind in technology upgrades. It was the only Jackson County school receiving the funding this year, the fourth year for the program. In past years, Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point schools have been among the recipients. Butte Falls qualifies in part because 57 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches because of family income, Bennighof says. The school placed its first equipment order Tuesday. More purchases will be made through the summer, and the new system is expected to be ready for students in the fall. Also during the summer, teachers will be in training, learning how to use the new equipment and new software with their students. Although improving student writing is a long-range goal, improving access to the Internet will be one of the immediate benefits of the new equipment. The school completed a major rewiring project in March, modernizing all of the cables serving computers. When the school�s old computers were connected to the new system, however, it turned out that the gear was inadequate. "We realized we have very few computers capable of handling the browsers," Bennighof says. Students will be using a combination of new software and new Internet access for writing assignments. "I think what this will do is encourage a lot more writing and a lot more self-correction," Bennighof says. The grant is expected to allow the school to install at least two computers in every classroom, plus upgrade the computers in the library. "There wouldn�t be any way we could do this on our own," Bennighof says. The project follows a similar one at Butte Falls High School last year. The school installed enough new computers to establish a computer lab in the library, which is open to the public for regular Internet sessions. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA