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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Small, green and sturdy devices have made classroom learning in one Yellowknife elementary school a bit different this year.

Jasmine Nasogalauk, back, helps Brendan McAllister use his new laptop at Weledeh Catholic School. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

Students from Grade 1 to Grade 8 at Weledeh Catholic School were recently each given, to keep, one of 375 laptops, valued at around $250 each.

Weledeh received these computers as part of a Canada-wide pilot program by One Laptop Per Child Canada through the Belinda Stronach Foundation. One Laptop Per Child has a mission of putting the green, low-energy computers - titled XO laptops - in the hands of children in need throughout the world.

"The idea behind it is to give technology and Internet access to those who would otherwise not have it," said Simone Gessler, principal at Weledeh.

"Now, in this case it doesn't mean that all of our students don't have technology at home, but we do have students who don't."

Part of the Belinda Stronach Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of aboriginal youth in Canada. It states aboriginal children are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada, but face more social issues, including suicide rates five to seven times higher than the general population. For this reason, the foundation is focusing on distributing 5,000 laptops though the One Laptop Per Child Canada program in aboriginal, isolated and remote communities.

"Its programs are culturally relevant to aboriginal traditional nature," said Gessler. "They have 50 books that have an aboriginal content. So, the laptops were originally about increasing the technological awareness of that user group."

Gessler said, by the end of October, all classes had the laptops. So far, the students have all been handling their new devices responsibly - even the young ones are coming to class in the morning with their computers and keeping them in good condition.

"We were really worried about sending them home and that they wouldn't come back and we've been overwhelmed by how well the students have taken responsibility for their laptops," she said.

Since the laptops are specialty computers, if one gets broken, there is no way to order a replacement.

"You can order parts - they do have technical support," said Gessler. "And the Belinda Stronach Foundation right now is working on how they're going to support this."

These computers are being integrated into the curriculum at an opportune time for Weledeh. Next year, the school is rolling out a new technology-based learning model, titled Literacy With Information and Communications Technology (LWICT).

"This will help them to use computers to complete required projects," said Gizelle Gaudon, Grade 2 teacher at Weledeh and one of three teachers who have received training over the last year and will be piloting the LWICT program.

Putting this technology in the hands of students is having an undeniable effect. Even now, classes of Grade 2 students are able to mentor Grade 1 students as to how to use the laptops. This mentorship is not part of the program, but Weledeh staff believe students learning from their peers would have a proactive effect.

"We came one day and it was really enjoyable for both sets of kids and we decided to continue the relationship," said Gaudon. "The Grade 2 students become teachers for the Grade 1s."

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