News Release

Online classroom computers showing results

Southaven, Jan 8, 2003 - HERNANDO - DeSoto County school officials say having an online computer in every classroom in the county is paying dividends, not only in test scores, but in students' self-esteem.

"We have been so blessed to have the computers," said Linda Rice, assistant principal at Hernando Middle School.

The effort to place an online computer in every public classroom in Mississippi began in 1999 as a challenge offered up by Bob Pittman, then-America Online chief operating officer and younger brother of DeSoto Times Today publisher Tom Pittman, at a meeting of the Mississippi Economic Council.

Ronnie Musgrove, a candidate for governor at that time, incorporated the challenge in his campaign, and DeSoto County hosted the state's pilot project for the effort in January of 2000.

Eight months later, DeSoto was the state's first county to have Internet access in every public classroom.

Mississippi in December became the first state to have an online computer in every public classroom.

The state's online computer effort has been noted on CNN, syndicated radio commentator Paul Harvey's broadcast and in a feature article in The New York Times.

Rice said sixth-graders and those taking remedial classes are participating in the Accelerated Math program at the school, using software which allows students to progress at their own pace.

In essence, there is no waiting until a math teacher grades papers. Students are able to see if they have correctly worked math problems almost instantly.

"When they have successfully completed problems, the computer spits out math problems at the next level," Rice said.

A two-hour block of time is allotted each day, with the second hour dedicated to take students a step further in their comprehension of math and algebra.

The time has been well spent for 13-year-old K.C. Johns, who said she raised her math scores from a C the first six weeks to a B+ the last six weeks.

"I think it's better to do math problems on the computer than on paper because you already know your grading," said Johns, a seventh-grader at Hernando Middle School. "You don't have to suffer and wait on a grade that you thought you might have done badly on."

The school was able to purchase the software through a grant from the Maddox Foundation, private individuals and a school fund-raiser.

The software is run on the 28 online computers in the school's computer lab.

Cynthia Vaughn, a sixth-grade math teacher at Hernando Middle School, said the Accelerated Math program has allowed students to work at their own level and helped teachers better see where improvement is needed.

"Anyone will succeed and do better if they have a chance," Vaughn said. "Kids think they can't do math and they shut down. With the Accelerated Math program, it gets the children ready for a higher grade level."

Rice said while the computers help students attain comprehension levels more efficiently, it is still the personal attention of teachers that keeps the learning process going.

"Technology is a wonderful thing and although it can never be the substitute for a wonderful teacher, when it's in the hands of an effective teacher, it can do marvelous things," Rice said.


Robert Lee Long can be contacted at DesTimes@aol.com or at 429-6397