This Product Application Review was given to several teachers at Lakeland School in Walworth County and the responses were compiled and written based on those replies.

What is Lakeland School?

Walworth County's long history and commitment to educational initiatives dates back to 1949. County Superintendent, Sheridan Ellsworth, with assistance from school administrators, parents and others active in the communities, developed an effective rural approach to educate mentally handicapped students, referred to today as cognitively disabled. Today, Lakeland School offers a highly structured program with significant modifications in curriculum for students with disabilities from 3 to 21 years of age.

How does Lakeland school address the student body challenges outside the traditional school model?

Programs and facilities for students with special needs in Walworth County have expanded from a leased basement in the Elkhorn VFW building, sufficient space to educate the fourteen students who were first enrolled in September, 1950, to a full range of services available today. Lakeland School is one option within that range of services—a large self-contained facility which serves the needs of approximately 275 Walworth County students with a wide range of special needs.

Students in special education receive an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) drafted by an IEP team comprised of parents, teachers, therapists and administrators.  This team determines the most appropriate goals for a specific student and the type of educational setting that will best meet that student's needs.  It offers the most structured, most controlled program in special education.  Lakeland School prepares students for life with training in academics, job skills and with direct instruction in daily living skills in an atmosphere that cannot easily be duplicated in many other schools. 

How did the relationship between Lakeland School and InfoCor begin?

The relationship began about the same time InfoCor launched the satalight^® Interactive Learning Station and Lakeland School had just completed the grand opening of their new school. InfoCor notified Lakeland after seeing the school featured in a newspaper article. After introductions and a couple of meetings, Lakeland was thrilled with the satalight^® technology and purchased their first unit.

How did InfoCor deliver value to the learning experience of the student body at Lakeland School?

The value the satalight^® has delivered is the mobility and flexibility it offers to a diverse group of students. It can be moved from room to room and has the adjustability of the height and angle of the touch screen. Lakeland initially started with one unit and has since purchased two more because of its versatility.

How is the satalight^® Interactive Learning Station used in class?

It is used for several different things allowing all teachers and students to use it. Below is a sampling of some day-to-day usage: Speech and OT groups in the classroom, attendance, phonics, sight word reading, science review graphic organizer, (weekly/monthly concepts), writing centers (sentence and paragraph writing, cursive), review settings of stories in reading mastery III, students playing Starfall and PBS Kids each morning and during free time, calendar activities, projectable books from Reading A-Z, and researching on the internet.

How have students responded to using the satalight^®?

The amazing thing about the satalight^® and its touch screen capabilities is that the students understand how to use it. They love how approachable it is and feel comfortable going right up to the unit and working directly on the touch screen with little instruction. The other thing that was noticed is the students felt less intimidated by the satalight^® because it’s smaller than the standard size boards we have on stands or the walls.

What features of the satalight^® stand out from other assistive technology products?

Every student can use it because of its adjustability and portability. The student body ranges in a variety of ability levels and the satalight^® helps address those issues based on the individual student. The instructors integrate different activities and applications such as lesson plans, the internet, and try different software programs so students can get the quality of hands-on from what was once paper-pencil work.

Would Lakeland School recommend the satalight^® to other schools?

Absolutely! The versatility of the satalight^® alone speaks for itself. “Its portable features are enough; it’s easy to move and works with many applications,” says one of Lakeland’s teachers. It addresses all levels of our student body as well as the needs of instructors. Although they only have three units, sharing between teachers/students is inevitable and they don’t seem to mind. They have found that the less engaged students have become more interactive during class because they are not afraid to approach the touch screen. The enlarged screen gives our visually impaired students the ability to see the screen and our limited mobility students really work at some of the therapeutic applications used during class.