How a 1:1 laptop initiative can change teaching, learning

[udin.mahar39]

Educators at an Indiana high school, which is close to fully implementing a one-to-one laptop program, say student engagement has improved since they began using more technology in the classroom. About $100,000 was diverted from capital projects to pay for the laptops. One teacher said his classroom is completely digital because of the laptops, and others say technology has improved teaching, learning and communication. "Right now we're doing World War II. We've been to the Holocaust museum without even leaving Delphi," one teacher said.[COLOR="Silver"]

[MaestroFX1]

Hi!

I personally think it is a great initiative.
Connecting kids all around the world.
It will lessen the ‘technical know-how’ gap between those who have and the rest.

It has the backing of almost all developing countries’ government too.

But, what I am worried about is – access to OTHER knowledge too.

We had seen (during system maintenance) and were also told by concerned parents.

I guess there is always “a flipside”!

Thanks

[Sharky]

Hi!

I personally think it is a great initiative.
Connecting kids all around the world.
It will lessen the ‘technical know-how’ gap between those who have and the rest.

It has the backing of almost all developing countries’ government too.

But, what I am worried about is – access to OTHER knowledge too.

We had seen (during system maintenance) and were also told by concerned parents.

I guess there is always “a flipside”!

Thanks

I didn't have a laptop at school, we had probably 1 computer per.... I dunno, 20 or 30 students, if that. It's a stupid idea. Encourages either doing too much work, or faffing about on a laptop instead of getting exercise, and we are already aware that there's an obesity issue emerging in children.

[MaestroFX1]

@Sharky
I didn't have a laptop at school, we had probably 1 computer per.... I dunno, 20 or 30 students, if that. It's a stupid idea. Encourages either doing too much work, or faffing about on a laptop instead of getting exercise, and we are already aware that there's an obesity issue emerging in children.



Well, looks like we had same kinda schooling!
We had four sections in a grade –ABCD and about 20 to 55 students.
(Based on grades in previous year, teachers/parents said. See ‘future’ kids segregation starts even before you could (are made to) feel segregated!)
We had about 34 computers give or take and almost a half a dozen of them would always be out of-service.
And, from the ‘in-service’ computers, those life-sucking teachers would take the cleaner/faster PCs.
So, on a good day, we had 25 ‘free’ computers at max for our use.
Geeks/Nerds/etc from A always used them for Excel, Photoshop,etc.
But, kids from other sections would play solitaire and other such games. (Strict no game installation policy)

Things didn’t change much until I got into a grad school, where everyone had a laptop. Didn’t knew why?
May be it was so-called peer-pressure. But, I always used to borrow laptops for presentations and when in dormitory ,my roommate had desktop.
I never bought a laptop/desktop for the entire 4 years of grad school.

So, it turned out to be just fine without having it!

The larger point that I was making: it is not mandatory but it is beneficial to have it somewhere around.

How you use it, it is a complete different game altogether.