Nov
11
Written by:
Dan Maas
11/11/2009
Laptop projects are popping up everywhere and some even go away (see NYTimes article on school dropping laptop project). Recently, a small Indiana school implemented a laptop rental program using HP Mini netbooks charging students $55/year to fund their initiative (see Indiana DOE press release). 
In Littleton, lots of kids have access to technology from iPods, to netbooks, to smart-phones and even laptops. Indeed, our high schools all welcome student-owned technology and we provide filtered wifi services that our students can freely access at school. Yet, after two years of wifi availability, I don't see digital technology squeezing out paper and pencil in the study halls and cafeterias I walk through to see kids doing their school-work. A curious sophomore asked me what I was peering at as I scanned an area full of kids doing homework and when I told her, she remarked "oh, I bring my laptop to school if I need it." When pressed, she indicated she only really needed it at school when she had fallen behind and needed to finish up a research paper.
On the flip side, I have had numerous conversations with teachers who caution me that trying to shift classroom activities to align with the information, communication, publishing and citizenship realities of the 21st Century sets up some students to be left behind. It is not fair to leave some kids out who cannot provide their own laptop computer and the financial picture does not hold enough resources to simply issue every student a laptop/netbook... at least not right now. Considering the Indiana example above, maybe there is more than one way to approach this challenge. So this leads me to some questions for school teachers (especially at the high school level).
What would your classroom learning environment look like if every student brought a laptop/netbook?
How might your syllabus change?
What would student work look like?
Would you want every student to come to class with a laptop/netbook? Why or why not?
15 comment(s) so far...
Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Cons
Do high school students have the maturity to appropriately use the laptops in the classroom? There are all ready too many distractions in the classroom; kids are texting and playing games, would this be another? Would they be surfing the Web, checking e-mail, shopping, playing solitaire, or instant-messaging friends?
Pros
Textbooks can quickly become outdated. Allowing students to use the Internet in class gives them and teachers access to a huge variety of information instantly.
Real time learning in which students can converse with experts in almost any field, means that students are more engaged to learn.
By Carol Boorom on
11/11/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
That would be interesting!
By kathy adams on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
If the teacher had the ability to "lock" their laptops when they needed their attention, it would be much more useful. In my computer lab classroom, that feature (NetOp) is a life saver!
By Evan on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
If the teacher had the ability to "lock" their laptops when they needed their attention, it would be much more useful. In my computer lab classroom, that feature (NetOp) is a life saver!
By Evan on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Curiously, I learned from my daughter who is a freshman at Denver University that many professors are asking students not to bring their laptops to classes. Denver University has been at the cutting edge of technology, but apparantly students who have laptops in class are often off task.
By Rob Hansen on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Well, in kindergarten, I would be tremendously surprised! But, if they did we could have some interesting lessons with it!
By Carol Riscoe on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
@ Carol I don't think high school students have the maturity to stay on task during class if they had a laptop in the classroom. Having two teenagers at home, I think they would be easily distracted in class surfing the Web or checking facebook.
By Traci Chandler on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Certainly seems to be dependant on grade level appropriateness. We would have to start with third graders on a very limiited basis and see how it went!
By Sandy Larson on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Curiously, I learned from my daughter who is a freshman at Denver University that many professors are asking students not to bring their laptops to classes. Denver University has been at the cutting edge of technology, but apparantly students who have laptops in class are often off task.
By Rob Hansen on
11/16/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
One more thing to find in the lost & found!
By Doreen Quinn on
11/20/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
@Doreen... the lost and found gets better and better!
By Dan Maas on
11/20/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
One more thing to find in the lost & found!
By Doreen Quinn on
11/20/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
Well, it would be very different. I can see both sides; technology is important but I think some kids would definitely be off task. I'm not sure where I would side on this one.
By Sarah on
11/20/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
@Doreen... the lost and found gets better and better!
By Dan Maas on
11/20/2009
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Re: If all my students brought laptops...
@Doreen... the lost and found gets better and better!
By Dan Maas on
11/20/2009
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