Ruralmicro: Computers and "Excellence" in Small Town New Hampshire

Abstract

The successful computer program in rural Hillsboro-Deering (New Hampshire) Cooperative School District was the result of a program of excellence in education adopted by a completely new and inexperienced school board in 1978. Supported both by oldtimers and by newcomers, the board acquired new administrators, purged the faculty, and acquired $15,000 for three Apple computers which were the basis of the computer program. The district hired a zealous computer instructor who, over the next six years, organized a computer room at the joint site of the elementary, middle, and high schools, and expanded it to include 20 Apple microcomputers and a wide variety of software. Always full of students, the casually-run computer room became the site of much learning for elementary, secondary, and special education students of all abilities. The computer instructor developed and taught an introductory computer course for the faculty and established an elaborate K-12 computer curriculum. Beginning in kindergarten with games and minimal word processing, the curriculum advanced students to subject area software, LOGO, and word processing during the elementary school years, started them programming LOGO in grade 8, and continued teaching them BASIC and PASCAL programming and independent studies in high school. (SB)