Plans to place public school students on the cutting-edge of technology will reach a new dimension this weekend.

Parents, students, and anyone interested in Information Technology will get the opportunity to receive hands-on knowledge at the XL Education Initiative's IT Fair at CedarBridge Academy tomorrow (SAT).

The fair -- which is free and will run from 10 a.m. to noon in the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium -- promises to have something for everyone.

XL Education Initiative organisers from Bermuda and the US have been working since last year to develop a "dynamic technology-infused curriculum'' for the public school system.

And the effort is expected to come to fruition in September at the senior school level.

The initiative, funded by XL Capital Ltd., has gathered speed since it was announced last November and plans are underway to have two Information Technology labs built at CedarBridge and the Berkeley Institute by September.

World leaders in both technology and education -- from Stanford University and the University of Virginia -- are assisting to formulate the curriculum and train teachers for the programme which is expected to be a model for the rest of the world.

Tomorrow's fair is expected to be the launch pad for the bold initiative.

Assistant Professor of Education at Stanford University, Brigid Barron, said: "We hope that we will get parents and students out.

"Saturday will really put a face on what we intend to accomplish.'' A team of graduates from Stanford have been working on an 18-course curriculum, starting with an introduction to computers, webpage design and programming, the Internet, and the future of computing.

These modules will be designed in detail during the fair, Ms Barron said.

"We have five graduate students coming for the fair,'' she explained. "They will give the history of the project -- such as how do we think about professional development for teachers; how to make that work when you have something as dynamic as computer technology; and how do we make meaningful curriculum development.'' Two separate sections will be set up at the fair by Stanford University and the University of Virginia and a literature booth will be set up outside of the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium.

There will also be a web site -- www.xlinitiative.org -- for all to browse.

"The fair will be a mixture of musical presentation -- a simple demonstration of how music gets incorporated into technology,'' XL Chief Information Officer Ellen Lim said.

"We're looking into a music programme for the first quarter or sometime in the summer. The teacher is Janice Gordon from Saltus. So we are bringing in the whole Island on this.'' "We are also introducing teachers to ideas on how to incorporate technology into their classes,'' Ms Barron added.

"We will give some examples of how this has worked. And those attending will be able to ask questions informally.'' "With computer technology, roles are changing,'' she pointed out.

"Younger people are adapting quickly. It is important to think about the classroom environment as a community where people have different strengths and skills and work together, rather than teachers telling students what to do.

"In this area we are all learners.

"One of the biggest motivations to learning is when students are engaged.

They love to create things with technology.'' Ms Lim agreed, noting since Saltus introduced its Learning Through Laptops programme, a decrease in behavioural problems has been noticed.

Speaking on the initiative in general, Ms Barron said: "We will start with four students living in Bermuda for a month to take teachers through the curriculum.'' Six teachers will be involved with this in June at the Bermuda College.

IT fair: Stanford University assistant professor of education, Brigid Barron (left) and XL Chief Information Officer Ellen Lim.

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