A School System in Maine Gives iPads to Kindergartners23 November 2011Teacher Laurie Gerard uses iPads with her kindergarten students in Auburn, MaineThis is the VOA Special English Education Report.Nine years ago, Maine became the first American state to provide laptop computers to all seventh and eighth graders in public schools. The northeastern state has sinceexpandedthat program to about half of its high schools. Now, one school system in Maine haslauncheda project to providetabletcomputers -- the Apple iPad -- to all kindergarteners.Some people have criticized the project as a waste of money. But school officials expect it to increase learning.LAURIE GERARD: "Now, we're going to explore ... "Laurie Gerard teaches five- and six-year-olds at Sherwood Heights Elementary School in Auburn, Maine. Before the students collect their iPad, theysay a rhymeto remind them how to be careful with it.LAURIE GERARD AND STUDENTS: "Fingers on the bottom, thumbs on top, that way my iPad won't drop."Ms. Gerard plans to use different applications to help her create a learning plan for each student. The iPads have been in her classroom since the school year began in September.The principal of the school, Laura Shaw, says the iPads quickly let children know if they answer questions correctly.LAURA SHAW: "Kids, especially in kindergarten, are veryhands-onand learn best when they're actuallymanipulatinginformation and manipulating objects. When you have eighteen kids in the classroom and you see ten kids, hands raised up, the teacher does her best toget around. But sometimes with the iPads and certainappsthe kids getimmediate feedback. They know what they've done is correct and they can move on, or they know 'Oh, I need to ask for help.'"Almost three hundred kindergarteners in Auburn are using iPads this year. ProjectcoordinatorMike Muir says he believes the computers can help students improve in reading and math. Less than two-thirds of the third graders in the school system are at what are known as benchmark levels..MIKE MUIR: "One of our literacy interventionists was working with several of her students, and, having a hard time with helping them be successful, she finally pulled out her own personal iPad and had them work on some apps for letter recognition and letter formation, and they met the benchmark very quickly and even as she moved on to other topics with these students, theyretainedthat level of mastery."School districts in other states including South Carolina, Tennessee and Illinois are also using iPads. The project in Maine costs two hundred thousand dollars. Most of that money is from the state and the federal government.Not everyone supports the project. Computer science professor Elliot Soloway at the University of Michigan studies technology in education.ELLIOT SOLOWAY: "It's ridiculous! [Laughs] And it's ridiculous not because of the iPads but because of the amount of money. Technology is really a wonderful, wonderful idea, but the problem is that the iPads won't scale. The iPads are not sustainable."Is the iPad an effective learning tool? Educators in Maine plan to give a report at the end of the school year.And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. I'm Jim Tedder.词汇注释：say a rhyme：唱儿歌hands-on：亲身实践的，亲自动手的get around：有办法应付immediate feedback：即时反馈expand：[iks'pænd]vt. 展开;扩大,扩充,发展膨胀,扩张;张开,展开,使膨胀,使扩张;张开A balloon expands when it is blown up.气球吹气后会膨胀起来。The expanding economy enriched the peasants.不断发展的经济使农民们富裕起来。launch：[lɔ:ntʃ]n. 下水,汽艇,发射vt. 使下水,发射,发动,发出vi. 起飞,下水,投入,开始We launched a counter-attack upon the enemy.我们向敌人发起了反攻。You have our backing to launch a campaign against smoking.我们支持你发起禁烟的运动。tablet：平板电脑manipulate：[mə'nipjuleit]vt. 操纵,利用,操作,应付,假造A clever politician knows how to manipulate his supporters.机敏的政客懂得如何操纵自己的支持者。He manipulated the sails like a sailor.他像水手般熟练地操纵着船帆。apps：应用程序coordinator：协调者retain：[ri'tein]vt. 保持,保留;留住,挡住;记住I retain a clear memory of those days.我还清晰地记得那些日子。It has good heat-retaining properties.