S Lyon's Technology Blogs

Laptops in the Classroom

Description

As a portable computer, a laptop can be used within a classroom by the teacher alone or by individual students without using a lot a space.  All students are allowed to use curriculum based software, word-processing, spreadsheets and presentation applications, as well as the Internet without being relocated to a computer lab or a reserved area in the classroom.  Also, all students have the resources available to them despite their differences outside of the classroom.

Key Findings

As technology continues to play a vital part in education, many states and school districts are incorporating programs into the curriculum that require or at least encourage the use of technology in all schools and by all teachers.  As stated in the article, ?Lessons Learned about Providing Laptops for All Students? by Bonifaz and Zucker, ?a comprehensive systematic approach is needed if the initiative is to achieve the desired goals.  No one component is sufficient for a successful initiative??  It is also important that the school has leadership in order to have a successful laptop initiative where the primary goals are established, suitable training is available to both teachers and parents, and the program is properly monitored and evaluated as changes may occur.  The article ?Research:  What It Says About 1 to 1 Learning? (Apple Computer) states ??there is evidence that particular program designs and factors affecting teacher attitudes and beliefs influence a program?s implementation and success?.  I think this is very important because if teachers don?t ?buy in? to an idea then the lack of support will allow the idea to fail which is why professional development is very important.  Teachers should be taught not only how to use the hardware or software, but also how to integrate the technology into their curriculum.

Both articles also mention the importance of a one to one student to computer ratio.  The goals of one to one ratios include ?improving academic achievement through use of technology, increasing equity of access to digital resources, increasing economic competitiveness by preparing students for today?s workplace, transforming the quality of instruction? according the Apple Computer article.  The primary goal of many instructors is to prepare their students for the real-world.  As it becomes more evident that technology plays a major role in education, it is imperative that each student is given the opportunity to access the resources and knowledge obtained by using technology.  With competition for entrance into to well-known schools and high paying jobs increasing, it is not surprising that researchers ?revealed an increase in the occurrence and quality of informal, project-based and small group interactions between teachers and students participating in the program [Project Hiller]? (Apple Computer).

Reflection

My school has a lot of resources available for student achievement such as 2 computer labs for use by teachers during classroom instruction and by students in their spare time during lunch or after school.  I have used the computer lab on several different occasions for a variety of reasons.  However, I have only used laptops on one occasion.  Students worked in groups on presentations, brochures and websites.  Because it was a group project, each student did not need a laptop, but I look forward to finding other uses for laptops in my curriculum.

So far this semester, I have used the laptops on two occasions.  The first time was during my catapult project.  In groups, students create a catapult capable of shooting a table tennis ball between 50 cm and 300 cm.  The students then use mathematics to determine the accuracy of their catapult, to maximize and minimize profits, and to make other general connections with math.  Finally, the students present their product to the class.  The students created a company name and product name used on brochure and PowerPoint presentations.  During the project, it became necessary for different students in the group to work on the presentation and/or brochure or website, while the other students in the group continued to work on the catapult and its accuracy.  So that the other teacher that I collaborated with and I could have students doing both, we used the laptops.  The students enjoyed using them in the classroom to work on their assignments.  The other teacher and I were able to monitor all students as they worked between the two classrooms and in the hallways. 

The second occasion was with the pendulum project that I mentioned in the simulation weblog.  After the students created their own pendulum, made their observations and answered the questions, they then went into the classroom to use the laptops to view the simulation and answer several questions.  It was beneficial to have the laptops because the students would just come into the classroom to ?play? with the simulation on the laptops and then move on to the rest of the project.  I didn?t have to have 10 computers taking up a lot of space in the classroom.  Once students completed that aspect of the project, the laptops were quickly packed up and ready to return to the library.

Later in the semester, my students will work on a magazine project were the students will create a math magazine.  With this project, I will also use the laptops.  The students will work within the classroom on the many parts of the magazine.

Although I don?t think I have used the laptops to their fullest potential in the classroom so far, I think they have be useful for my students in such a way that I didn?t have to physically move the class to another location for them to use such applications as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.