Magnet School Logs On to Information Superhighway : Education: Students can surf the Internet at the Central Library. The school is first in the nation to focus on electronic information.

Students interested in the information superhighway and other electronic technology began taking classes last week at the Los Angeles Central Library, as part of a new program touted as the nation’s first magnet school to focus on accessing electronic information.

About 90 ninth- and 10th-graders are enrolled in the voluntary program, a joint project of the Los Angeles Public Library and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Downtown Business Magnet High School. The UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information is also helping to develop the school’s unique curricula and offer technical advice.

“There’s nothing else like this,” said Paul McGlothlin, coordinator of the program. “Our program is going to really allow students to create electronic documents and surf the Internet. They’ll have the same access to the Internet as a research scientist or a university student.”

Richard Lucero, one of four teachers assigned to the magnet program, said students will take science, math, English and social studies courses at the library and the rest of their classes at the Downtown Business Magnet, about a mile away on West Temple Street. The goal of the program, Lucero said, is to incorporate electronic information into almost every academic subject.

“For example, in English class, students will learn how to research their subjects using the library’s computer systems,” he said. “And instead of keeping a notebook, they’ll develop their own electronic portfolio through CD-ROM, where they can keep all of their assignments.”

One of Lucero’s first goals is to pair each student with a computer “pen pal” at a South American school and another in Puerto Rico, where he used to work. Once students master the concept of electronic mail, they’ll move on to more advanced technology, like accessing the global computer network known as the Internet, he said.

“Our goal is try to make everyone computer literate, even though we have some kids who are advanced and others who are afraid of the computer,” he said.

Nicholas Pattengale, a 15-year-old sophomore, said he enrolled as soon as he heard about the program because he has been interested in computers since he was 12. On the first day of class, Pattengale tinkered with a CD-ROM Spanish program at the library’s Language Learning Center.

“Computers will be a big part of the job market, so this will really help us,” he said. “And these computers are so much nicer than the standard school computers. It’s an ideal learning environment.”

Students will be bused between the Downtown Business Magnet and the library. They will eat lunch at the business school and take physical education classes at the Ketchum Downtown YMCA.

The program is one of 24 new magnet programs created by the district this year. Although the school is starting with only ninth- and 10th-graders, juniors and seniors will be added in subsequent years. The school is still accepting applications from freshmen and sophomores who want to enroll this year.

“We have about 20 openings,” McGlothlin said. “All we ask is for students who have the desire to learn. . . . We don’t want our kids to become computer geeks. We want them to use electronic information as tools to help them in all of their classes.”

Ninth- and 10th-graders interested in enrolling in the electronic information magnet program should call McGlothlin at (213) 228-7504.

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