Consortium for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching with Technology (COATT)


	Leading the way in the area are Fourth and seventh grade students in the Flint and Bendle school districts. They don’t have to head to the library or computer lab to access a computer. Instead, they can do research or practice typing skills at their desks using wireless laptop computers. A recently announced $1.1 million grant will put laptop computers into the hands of students in some Flint and Bendle schools. The project, called "Freedom to Learn," goes beyond just providing laptops. The selected schools converted to a wireless system. UM-Flint has been selected as the professional development partner in the grant. The Office of Information and Technology Services, the Education Department, and the Office of Extended learning, have participated in implementing the wireless networks in the selected schools.
	As one of the most flourishing educational networks in the United States, GenNET integrates the use of technology to provide opportunities and solutions to the specific instructional and communications needs of its membership. In recognition of this achievement and ongoing endeavor, the Michigan Association of School Boards presented GenNET with the Special Achievement Award (April 2000) in recognition of its outstanding technology program. Carman-Ainsworth High School supports Distance Learning Classes. Students can take classes electronically originating in any member district in advanced placement classes, foreign languages, science, math, special instructional events, teleconferences, and more. GenNET Electronic Distance Learning Classrooms bring a more diverse selection of classes to high school students and offers classes that student might otherwise not be able to take. High-speed, safe, secure Internet access is accessible for student and staff use with GenNET. This brings worldwide resources into local classrooms. Students and teachers e-mail is also available with GenNET. Instructional Support is available on GenNET providing help with curriculum, development, instructional management, media resources, software and more. In-service and support is available from GISD to assist teachers in how to instruct electronically using the GenNET Distance Learning Classroom.
	Two important new resources used at the University of Michigan-Flint are the Smart (Shared Multimedia Access to Resources for Teaching) Cart pictured above on the left and the Mobile Classroom (Wireless Laptop Cart) pictured on the right.
	The Smart Cart is a Pentium 4 Computer with wireless network card, keyboard with touchpad mouse, DVD/VCR Combo, Document Camera, Sharp Data Projector, screen, and remote with Laptop compatibility. It is quite the effective tool for presenting materials to a large audience. They have also been outfitted with security systems to prevent theft or vandalism.
	The Mobile Classroom Cart holds 24 Dell Inspiron Laptops. The battery charge lasts about 1 hour, but the laptops may also be plugged in or can be recharged all at once on the cart. This unit allows you to bring the computers to the students instead of taking the students to a computer lab. All the laptops have wireless internet cards so you could even have class outside.