40 laptops provided to school for the deaf in Jacksonville
<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Forty laptop computers are on their way to elementary school students at the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn announced Friday.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Quinn said at a state Capitol news conference that his office worked with the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University to buy the low-cost, durable XO computers from One Laptop Per Child, a nonprofit group.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Officials from the School for the Deaf said the students would use their new laptops in a variety of ways. For instance, they can polish their writing skills by using the laptops to communicate with each other in class, said Marybeth Lauderdale, the school superintendent.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">"Technology is the great equalizer," she said. "When you make something visual, our students can learn it."</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Christopher Merrett, director of the Institute for Rural Affairs, said the computers cost about $16,000 and the money came from funds left over from a recent conference. The computers were purchased through a "give one, get one" promotion, which means One Laptop Per Child will send another 40 laptops to children in developing nations.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">At the news conference, Quinn also encouraged Illinois third-graders to participate in an essay contest based on the question: How can laptops help to change your community and the world? Three laptops will be awarded to students in the contest. More information is available on Quinn's Web site, www.standingupforillinois.org, or by calling (217) 782-3734.</font>
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