“School districts across the country are handing out laptops and tablets.  These devices are different in that teachers can push and pull course materials to the devices, so that the student’s tablet is a true learning tool and an extension of the classroom,” said Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools Superintendent Dennis Sawyer.  

Administrative staff and teachers have been trained on the system for several months.  “We’ve had tremendous support from all stakeholders including parents, the board of education, and of course teachers,” Sawyer added.  

KUNOs are built specifically for the school market and comply with the Child Internet Protection Act.  They’re heavy duty with durable covers and are installed with web filters preventing students from surfing inappropriate sites.  Additionally, teachers will control all of the information the students get through the Cloud and the devices are designed to work with or without Internet access.  

“Today’s students have grown up with this type of technology.  The way they think, learn, and interact is so much different from even 20 years ago,” said Mark Kuchenbrod, the school system's chief technology officer.  “We’re anticipating amazing results.  These will not replace textbooks, but we’ll be poised when textbook publishers go digital.”  

Two companies have worked on the implementation, training, and ongoing support for this initiative.  CurriculumLoft of Indianapolis is the supplier of the Cloud solution and the KUNO tablets, and Engaging Solutions, from Raleigh and Houston have served as consultants and advisors on all phases of the initiative and will provide ongoing support. 

“This is an exciting time for our district.  Our primary mission is to prepare students for jobs in the 21st Century.  We eventually would like to see this expand to other grades,” said Sawyer.