Vail, Arizonais Empire High School has issued iBooks to each of its 340 students as it opens its first year in operation. The school was specifically set up for a non-textbook environment, with a wireless network blanketing the campus, according to an Associated Press article.
"Weive always been pretty aggressive in use of technology and we have a history of taking risks," Vail Unified School District superintendent Calvin Baker told reporter Arthur Rothstein. Teachers are using digital materials provided by textbook publishers, along with subscription services and free resources found on the Web. The schoolis network limits what students can do online, including limiting instant messaging and chat room use.
Students hand in their homework online; a program checks against Internet sources, as well as classmatesi work, to ensure nothing is plagiarized. Mr. Rothstein notes that while students uncomfortable with the laptop-only setup could enroll elsewhere, Empire High School has a waiting list.