Leveling the technology playing field

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- The digital divide in the school district got a lot

smaller Saturday as low-income students from Rea Elementary School’s

technology academy received free computers to take home with them.

Volunteers explained the ins and out of computer networking, loading

up students and their families with hard drives, monitors, keyboards and

a copious amount of cable.

The event brought to fruition the efforts of Principal Ken Killian;

Steve Glyer, the district’s director of educational technology; the

Orange County Technology Foundation and Computer Tooter.

This is the second year of the Rea Technology Academy Pilot Program

which serves two classes each of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. With

130 students -- mostly English-language learners -- receiving computers

Saturday, all of the students in the academy are wired at home, leveling

the playing field with other district students who have access to

technology outside of school.

“These students will get some of the advantages to technology that

their peers in other schools in the district already have,” Killian said.

“We’re trying to bridge the gap.”

One of the beaming recipients of a computer, sixth-grader Arturo

Enriquez, said he would use it for homework.

“It’s good because it gives students a chance to study harder,” Arturo

said, adding that it would also come in handy when his dad has to pay the

bills for the company he owns.

When the technology academy started, the goal was to have students

work on their assignments at home, e-mail them to school and receive

interactive tutoring through a software program.

The Linking School and Homes with Computers program is bringing that

vision closer to reality, Killian said.

The computers were donated by Washington Mutual and the resources to

refurbish them and install the necessary software were provided by the

Orange County Technology Foundation. Computer Tooter, a local software

company founded by district parent Scott Gayner, provided the portals on

the computers for the students to access their school.

“Seeing the initial phase of our pilot program coming to fruition is

the most gratifying thing I have ever done,” Gayner said.

Before the computers were loaded into the back seats of the families’

vehicles, the parents went through a two-hour orientation to learn

computer basics. They will also be coming back to the school for two more

required training sessions as part of their contract.

Most of their training, however, will come from their children,

Killian said.

Sixth-grader Walter Carcamo couldn’t wait to show his mom his computer

expertise as he toyed with different desktop patterns and tried to log-on

to the Harry Potter Web site during the brief hands-on period before

taking the computer home.

Many of the parents said they will be logging on themselves to check

their students homework, communicate with teachers and even learn

English.

“I’m very happy,” said Rider Martinez, Walter’s mom. “I could do my

work and check his homework.”

Having students and their parents sharing in the advantages of

technology will payoff for years to come, Glyer said.

“When you have kids literacy level increase through this effort and

conversely, have parents literacy rise, we will have a more educated work

force which will ultimately benefit the city,’ Glyer said.

-- Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .