The colorful machines brighten up the classroom. The students all have their own passwords and ID numbers, so they can store their information on a server. The students can use the computer room whenever they have free time, such as during breaks and after school, to work on their personal projects. On this day, the students of ninth grade class A have divided up into groups of three to work on setting up Websites. The students use about 15 hours of classroom time and 10 hours of their own time to decide on a theme, gather information, create the site, and make a presentation about it.
Students are also busy with computer projects that go beyond their classroom assignments.
Some students have entered ThinkQuest , a contest for educational Web pages. This year, a girl formed a three-member team with boys in America and South Africa, and the team made it to the finals. The purpose of computer education is to teach kids how to use the computer as a tool for self-expression. It looks as though the computer classes at this school are succeeding in their goal.