They like them Apples

With its new three-year technology plan approved on Tuesday, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District may soon be leaping into the 21st century. Some schools, however, have made it there already ? it just takes a little pluck, persistence and outside funding.

For a good example, swing by Woodland Elementary School.

A relatively tiny site in east Costa Mesa ? the school contains only three grade levels ? Woodland has gone on a push during the last half-decade to bolster its technology. Through state and corporate grants and even an anonymous donor, the campus has placed two desktops in every classroom, started new after-school programs and acquired high-tech chalkboards called ACTIVboards, as well as digital cameras and other learning devices.

“When I first got here, we had a lab of Apple IIe’s ? the ones with the big disk drives and the red light that came on,” said teacher Eva Wagner, the school’s technology coordinator.

Three years ago, an anonymous community member gave Woodland the funds to overhaul its computer lab. Out went the old Apples and in came new eMac’s; last year, Wagner set up every classroom with one computer for the teacher and another for students. This year, the school caught its luckiest break yet, winning three outside grants to bring new technology onto campus.

Wagner, who had been applying for grants since coming to Woodland four years ago, won $7,000 from the California Technology Assistance Project and $2,500 from Best Buy. The former grant went to purchasing three new portable ACTIVboards ? large white screens where teachers can demonstrate computer programs in front of class. The latter acquired digital cameras, ink cartridges and printers for Woodland faculty.

In addition, two other teachers ? the mother-and-daughter team of Sheila Slater and Maggie Slater-Tool ? won a $4,800 district grant to implement the Accelerated Reader program in their classrooms, with the grant covering both books and online tests.

With the new technology, Woodland has added after-school programs to its catalog, including a digital moviemaking class and a tutoring program for struggling students. According to parents, the computers gives the campus an extra spark.

“I don’t think with 400 students, you ever have enough props,” said Jennifer Luckey, Woodland’s PTA president. “If you have a class of 20 kids and you have two, three computers, that’s great, but how thrilling will 10 be?”dpt.30-woodland-CPhotoInfoV41PEO6720060330iwwyf9knDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Eva Wagner, left, won grants to buy technology for Woodland School, including eMacs and the high-tech board used here by Nancy Jang.