Cindy B. Allen

Session 5 - Hardware Part II: Laptops/Tablets

Laptops ? Session 5, Hardware Part II: Laptops/Tablets

Description: 

     A Laptop computer is a small version of a large, desktop computer.  A laptop can perform the same functions as a desktop including Microsoft Office packages, Internet connections, and more. 

Key findings from readings: ?Lessons Learned for Providing Laptops for All Students? by Alejandra Bonifaz and Andrew Zucker

     Several states are incorporating a 1:1 ratio of students to laptops.  This particular article discussed the initiative in Maine.  The purpose for supplying students with laptops was to increase Maine?s economic competitiveness, bridge the digital divide between wealthy and poor students, and improve student achievement. 

     There were four areas the authors specifically discussed for implementation, which were: (1) planning, (2) training and professional development, (3) managing change, and (4) monitoring and evaluation.  In reviewing each of these steps; planning the goals for the initiative must be determined; for example, student learning and bridging the digital divide.  Teachers and administrators need to be trained about issuing laptops to students, not only with the technology, but with curriculum integration too.  Next, parents need to be trained in basic technical skills since students will bring the laptops home and parents need to be familiar with the code of conduct and rules with having the school?s laptop in their home.  Change is never easy, so sufficient time needs to be given for technical integration along with teachers having time to become familiar with the technology.  Students need to be taught basic keyboarding skills before being issued a laptop.  The schools should also reach out to the community for awareness and support.  The final step is monitoring and evaluation.  Benchmarks should be created for implementation and reviewed during the monitoring and evaluation steps; special attention should be given to the curriculum, costs, benefits, and methods of delivery.

Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:

     The article above already mentioned the majority of points I need to make to implement a 1:1 ratio of computers to students.  I have summarized my personal initiative to bring this program to our school.

     I teach in a low socioeconomic school.  We truly have a digital divide between the wealthy and poor students.  Our poorer students do not have a computer at home, they ride the bus to school, and cannot stay after school to work on the computers; this has truly affected their academic achievement.

     To create this initiative in my school I would get the teachers, administration, and community involved to support the program and help find the funding; informing them of the benefits to help the lower socioeconomic students, improve student achievement, and increase Smithfield/Selma?s economic competitiveness.  Our community truly wants the best for our school since we are one of the largest high schools in Johnston County. 

     Once we found the funding, the teachers and administrators would need to be trained about how the laptops can be incorporated into the curriculum.  It would be crucial that teachers were trained adequately to feel comfortable with this technology in their classrooms and incorporating the laptops into their curriculum (or the initiative would be in vain).  The parents would need to be trained on the technical and accountability end of their student bringing home a laptop from school.  Definitely we would need to decide on an accountability policy and code of conduct for the students, per se, ?renting? the computers and insuring the laptops as well.  Finally, students would need to be taught basic, keyboarding skills (which several lack coming into high school).

     Surely we would set benchmarks for implementing and developing this program into our school and measuring our effectiveness along the way.

Posted at 08:32PM Jun 11, 2006 by cballen3 in General  |  Comments[1]