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Pearson Digital Learning in the News
 Paper, plastic, education? Two Publix stores offer kids computer centers Atlanta Journal-Constitution Fulton County elementary school students and their parents can add math, reading and writing to the family's grocery shopping list. New CyberLane Centers at two Publix supermarkets in north Fulton are loaded with software that allows students to work at their own pace as parents shop. Centers also are planned for south Fulton and other metro locations. Learning levels span from kindergarten through ninth grade and coincide with state curriculum standards. The program is free and available to all county elementary school students. Students get CyberLane cards at Publix to use the centers, which are open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily. At check-in, parents must present identification and sign in their child. Students get a set of walkie-talkies so they can maintain contact with shopping parents. Publix along with Fulton County Schools and NCS Learn, a maker of educational software, teamed up on the project. Stores offering the computers are at Abernathy Square Publix, 6615 Roswell Road, and Trowbridge Cross Publix, 7525 Roswell Road. The Sandy Springs stores have partnerships with Spalding Drive Elementary and Woodland Charter Elementary, which are piloting the program. Currently, students must register in advance at those schools. Teachers there can help choose the courses and levels and later get progress reports that help identify strengths and weaknesses. Similar information will be made available to parents. "We know that student learning has to be anytime, anywhere," said Fulton County Superintendent Stephen Dolinger. "This gives another opportunity to students to expand their learning, and it makes learning fun." The first users at the Abernathy Square location gave the center a thumbs up. "I plan to come often," said Allie Ward, a 10-year-old student at Spalding Elementary. "We have them at our school, too, but it's more comfortable to come here and do the same thing." Ryale Grier, also 10, likes the multitask opportunity. "It's good because you get to learn when you to the grocery store with your parents instead of just at school." Metro Atlanta is the third area in the nation to land the grocery-and-learning project. CyberLane Centers also are operating in Publix stores in Broward County, Fla., and South Carolina. NCS Learn donated the software, and Publix donated the space. Spalding's PTA contributed to the purchase of four computers at the Abernathy Center, and Woodland used a charter-school grant to computerize the Trowbridge Cross site. Bob Woods, store manager at the Abernathy location, and Spalding principal Michael Fox worked more than a year to get the centers. Fox said in addition to academic enrichment, the in-store computers offer education of another sort. "It sends the message to students that learning is important," he said. "The community thinks it's important, parents think it's important, and Publix thinks it's important. That's a very valuable thing." The software also offers lessons for speakers of other languages and GED preparation. Publix plans to make the computers available to its non-English-speaking and other employees during center off hours. For more information, call Spalding at 770-551- 5880 and Woodland
at © 2001 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Reprint with permission from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Further reproduction, retransmission or distribution of these materials without the prior written consent of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and any copyright holder identified in the material's copyright notice is prohibited
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