laptops

[educate the nation]

Just this year my school district switched from pen and paper to laptops. A few months into the school year there have been complaints and problems from students and teachers. What do you think about switching to laptops?

[gulmm2002]

:clap: Its a wonderful idea to educate the nation thru switch from pen and paper to laptop, but in marginalised communities it is a fun to have even one desktop to 32 students

[Boxcar]

I can see a range of potential problems with this - especially with older students. However, with a good implementation program and effective guidelines, I think it can be a really wonderful thing in some ways. It saves trees and makes almost everyone's life easier.

I do wonder if this is a pre-cursor for schools becoming entirely computer-based. As in, school would no longer be brick-and-mortor and take place completely online. I certainly can see this as a definete possiblity.

[SS Rocks!]

Where do you teach? Because I'm going to knock the door down for a job! :cool: I really like the idea of each student having a laptop. A school in the town I went to college did this.

Out of curiosity, what are some of the problems students and teachers have been encountering?

[Kriegel]

I believe that before making the switch to lap tops there needs to be extensive teacher training. Several years ago our school gave a lap top to ever teacher. I there is still one teacher that has someone else check his email and respond for him. Last year I taught a fellow teacher how to attach a document to an email. Imagine it those same teacher had each of there students with lap tops... maybe they would just have to learn quicker!

[Ebeth]

It would be hard to imagine all of the work being done on laptops. I believe that it is a necessity, I also believe that students need to be able to do some work on paper. How do they do their calculations for Math? I also know that cursive handwriting is a big thing in our state right now since they need be able to legibly write (in cursive) their essay for their SATs.

[dsmms]

I like laptops too, but I do not think they should be used in lieu of pen and paper - maybe as a supplement. I think students should be able to write. We are encouraging them to rely solely on technology, but from my experience, technology isn't always reliable.

[War_Eagle]

Just this year my school district switched from pen and paper to laptops. A few months into the school year there have been complaints and problems from students and teachers. What do you think about switching to laptops?

I don't like it. Writing and penmanship are important skills.

[silvana]

I am all for technology, but it must be within reason, writing is a skill and through writing learners develop higher order thinking skills. It is easier to type and use grammar and spell checks... but do we really want 21st century learners to be so one dimensional? Digital learning is important but just think of all the skills involved in pen and paper writing, plus as I have noticed when I use lap tops the speaking and listening, even when learners are in pairs, is nominal. I believe it is through speaking and listening we mediate the world and build up social constructions of ourselves and the environment...what kind of learners will we be creating if we mediate all learning through technology?
I think virtual classrooms exsist all around the world already, as do those learners who are marginalised by the way technology excludes them from participating in the world ...and I do not solely refer to learners in developing countries but to those throughout the westernised world.
Laptops are a wonderful thing hence my participation here, but I believe they can never be any teachers sole response to education and I consider the most powerful program any school can run is ...GOOD TEACHING

[David]

I think children should be moved onto laptops once they have control over the pencil and paper tasks. For instance, if laptops are available before children are ready for them then they may become experts at Spell Check but not expert spellers.

[Dhe Poet]

My ten year old son has just this year improved his hand writing tremendously. I love reading what my six year old daughter writes. When she writes letters to my mother or my sister or someone else she always asks us how to spell whatever. I usually tell her to spell it the best she can and that Grandma or Aunt Debbie will enjoy figuring out what you said. Then there's the spelling words she gets every week and when we go over them I always add other words that are close to her list words but sometimes tricky or different. I heard from my sons fifth grade teacher that the requirement for the vocabulary of a fifth grader is 20,000 words vs. 50,000 frrom 20 yrs. ago or so! Is that so? These things must remain important. Vocabulary, Spelling, Penmanship, Math. The works. Are people some day just going to electrically sign everything too? You know?

[mrbarold]

I think that people need to wake up to the fact that computers are everywhere and are becoming more important to childrens lives outside the classroom every day. If the classroom does not embrace this technology then they will be out of touch with the people they are trying to educate. Im not talking about replacing teachers with computers, far from it. I think that computers need to be introduced into into classrooms in such a responsible and positive way. Standard windows based laptops are probably not the best solution and what is needed in my view is an educational machine built for children. This includes touch screen interfaces that will promote both fine and gross motor skills in children to compliment the use of the pencil. Banning any question of computers from classrooms is naive and irresponsible and will result in dysfunctional classrooms.

[hweber]

I agree mrbarold. I think that schools are sorely out of touch if they think computers are not necessary in schools. I also think that parents need to get on the bank wagon as well. I know that it is an extra expense for parents to get a computer or to subscribe to the Internet, but they are really doing a disservice to their child by not having them on the computer.

[SS Rocks!]

I really wish we could make the transition to education that is computer based in some way. You hear reports on the news about how our country has the potential to fall far behind other nations in education. I believe that revamping our education system in this way will give our students an edge when they get into the "real world". I won't hold my breath for the funding. :shiftyeyes:

A friend of a friend teaches in an affluent school system and is piloting their iTouch program. Apparently, the iTouch (like an iPhone without the cell phone capability) has a number of educational applications.

[mrbarold]

Hi SS Rocks
Can you tell me more about the iTouch? Im about to enter my final year in a product design course. I want to spend the year developing a computer designed specifically for educational purposes. Unfortunately the budget for education may never stretch to actually realising the project but I feel compelled to at least prove that children can be far more inspired with computers than without. Any ideas or advice is welcome.

[SS Rocks!]

I'll have to check with my friend and see what kind of info he got from his friend. I believe there is some type of text reading feature, like a Kindle, that students can use in place of a textbook. I'm not sure about any type of text input ability.

[Boxcar]

I really think it depends on the age of the students. For very young children - like my threes - I don't think computers need to be part of learning experience at this point in development. I do feel that older children, however, can benefit from the computer if it is intergrate into the classroom appropriately.

[hweber]

You're right Boxcar, it really depends upon the age of the child. Sometimes, I have a hard time thinking about my fourth graders using computers a lot. But, when I look at what other districts do, I realize how far behind my kids are in the technology field. As I stated before, this is due in part to the economics of the area. Sad, very sad.