Bill Gates Foundation Buys 1100 TT2's for NYC Edu

NYTALKS, a statewide school leadership training initiative aimed at superintendents and principals in public and private K-12 schools, is adding 1,100 Palm Tungsten T2 handhelds to the three-year program, Palm, Inc. announced today. The purchase is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Now in its second year, NYTALKS expects to purchase an additional 1,600 Palm handhelds for the final year of the program, bringing the total to 5,000. The program was designed by the New York State Council of School Superintendents, the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS), and the State Education Department (SED) to help education leaders throughout New York state begin to explore technology as a catalyst for organizational growth and student achievement, and to provide quality leadership and technology training. NYTALKS (New York Technology, Achievement, Leadership, Knowledge and Skills) is the result of a $7.5 million State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development awarded jointly to the three organizations by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  

“The Tungsten T2 handheld gives school leaders a way to share information, and email, and have access to data such as Student Information Systems containing profiles and photographs of each student, class schedules and emergency contacts,” said Mike Lorion, vice president of education, Palm Solution Group. “As Palm handhelds become more powerful they can help administrators manage the tremendous responsibility of building smooth-functioning and efficient learning communities. With results from the first year of the program in hand, NYTALKS can serve as a model for other states interested in knowing how handhelds can enhance leadership and organizational skills.”  

The Palm Tungsten T2 handheld debuts at $399, the PIC review is here. The Palm handhelds will include an array of software programs aimed at school leaders, including the Mobile Mentor Classroom Essentials CD from Handmark. Schools can take advantage of the Palm Education Purchase Program. The program offers schools a cost-effective way to implement technology and to enable equity among students by offering additional free handheld computers for different levels of purchase. It is designed to assist schools in deploying Palm handhelds in classrooms, in larger school projects and in campuswide initiatives.It is open to all K-12 schools, colleges and universities in the United States.