Gurnee’s Spaulding School in line for $43,000 in high-tech gear

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Updated: November 20, 2011 2:22AM

GURNEE — One vote out of more than 600,000 cast nationwide landed Spaulding School about $43,000 worth of technology for being one of three grand prize winners in the Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes.

Spaulding School Librarian Betsy McLoughlin entered the school in the online sweepstakes after she saw a notice in an electronic newsletter.

“It was just a really, wonderfully overwhelming experience. (I wasn’t) even thinking I could win — I didn’t tell anybody I entered,” McLoughlin said. “Everybody was delighted. It made me feel pretty good that I was able to do this for the school.”

Spaulding, along with schools in Kentucky and Virginia, will receive a 21st century classroom.

Spaulding will receive around 35 computer tablets, an interactive whiteboard, a student response system, a projector, a document camera, a mobile cart, a digital camcorder and a printer.

McLoughlin said the school can definitely use this technology.

“I don’t think any school can have too much,” McLoughlin said. “This is a real bonus for us because at the beginning of the summer, we received grant money for tablets for special education students.”

The 35 new tablets will be available for general education students, she said.

All the equipment will outfit a computer lab, she said. Spaulding School currently has one computer lab. The technology will be put into a second lab once it arrives.

Phil Hintz, Spaulding School director of technology, is in the process of selecting which tablets the school will get.

“Technology use in support of student achievement is a critical component of our district’s strategic plan,” Hintz said.

McLoughlin said the tablet technology is ideal for the school’s population of 3- to 8-year-olds.

“Tablets are much more intuitive for a child their age. It’s going to be a really good tool,” McLoughlin said.

The student responsive device is about the size of a remote control and connects to the teacher’s computer, according to Liz White, senior marketing manager at Vernon Hills-based CDW-G, a provider of technology solutions to government, education and health-care consumers. CDW-G and Discovery Education, a provider of digital content services to U.S. classrooms, sponsored the ninth annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes.

Spaulding School was among 53 schools nationwide to win customized classroom technologies. The sweepstakes awarded almost $200,000 worth of grand, first, second and third place prize packages.

“Betsy is incredibly lucky. She should probably go buy a lottery ticket,” White said.