Comments on: Teacher Laptops Are An Essential Tool

By: hitesh

hitesh — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:07:35 +0000

hell,
YESSSS! All teachers need a laptop if we are going to get out of this horrible merry-go-round of bandwagons that are just moving the focus of our problem in schools but doing nothing to really address it. Teachers are professionals who need the tools that will keep them current and help them to meet the needs of a new generation of learner. What I find ironic is we are giving our busdrivers cellphones, our curriculum consultants and councilors new laptops and all our IT people are “wired” but our teachers and schools don’t even have up-to-date equipment. Not that I begrudge these people getting these tools but it’s ironic that they are farthest from the students but with the best technological advantages. We still don’t seem to understand that to be able to jump in, we at least have to have water in the pool for the people to jump into.

———————-
hitesh singh
————————-
Laptop Fanatic- Laptop Fanatic

By: Graham Wegner

Graham Wegner — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:42:01 +0000

For a post that I typed up in a fifteen minute window after school one day, complete with poorly structured sentences and images dragged from Flickr after finding that my class digital camera’s batteries were dead, the topic seems to have touched a senstive hotspot in my commenter’s mindset. Thank you all for your comments here – those of you with access to teacher laptops as part of your department’s or district’s initiative can be pleased that you are well equipped to move your practice forward in the 21st Century (not long before we’re done with the first decade!) but as other commenters point out, other educators are making do with far less or funding their own laptop program out of their own bank balances. There obviously needs to be a OLPT program to match the OLPC program!

By: kwhobbes

kwhobbes — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 06:18:04 +0000

YESSSS! All teachers need a laptop if we are going to get out of this horrible merry-go-round of bandwagons that are just moving the focus of our problem in schools but doing nothing to really address it. Teachers are professionals who need the tools that will keep them current and help them to meet the needs of a new generation of learner. What I find ironic is we are giving our busdrivers cellphones, our curriculum consultants and councilors new laptops and all our IT people are “wired” but our teachers and schools don’t even have up-to-date equipment. Not that I begrudge these people getting these tools but it’s ironic that they are farthest from the students but with the best technological advantages. We still don’t seem to understand that to be able to jump in, we at least have to have water in the pool for the people to jump into. Right now, everyone but the instructors have water in their pools. Someone’s going to get hurt if we don’t get water into the main pool where all the kids are swimming.

By: walter b

walter b — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:11:06 +0000

NYC schools are miles behind in the use of technology. Getting teachers to regularly check email has been an issue. as anyone done any work around having students use their cell phones in class as a data collection tool or asa form of peer to peer communication during class?

I just think rather thatn providing new technology to students getting them to somehow embrace whats already in their pockets would be cool.

By: chris

chris — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 09:36:57 +0000

We have department supplied laptop in the West. They are upgraded every three years. They cost each teacher who wants one $10 pre tax per fortnight, not a bad deal. Mine is used 24/7, some teachers return theres in brand new condition! You also need access to a data projector in each room you teach, which I have.

By: hitechhall

hitechhall — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:22:15 +0000

I couldn’t agree more with the benefits of laptops for teachers and administrators. As you mentioned Graham, your machine was out for repairs, and I’m curious about how schools in New Zealand and Australia deal with broken laptops. Do they generally provide 3 year “extended” warranties? I wrote critically about student 1:1 laptop programs recently, since my experience, in the US at least, has been that not much thought is given to repairs and maintenance of the devices.

By: Miss Profe

Miss Profe — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:42:34 +0000

Having a laptop has totally transformed my professional and personal lives. Despite being the owner of a Mac desktop, I hardly ever turn it on. However, I do about once a month. Besides, my iTunes music library is on there, and it allows me to sync up my Palm Pilot.

I maintain lesson plans and an electronic gradebook on the laptop, not to mention carry out the vast majority of my email communications. I also blog on my laptop. I don’t, however, usually carry it with me when I go to visit friends and family.

By: Rachel Boyd

Rachel Boyd — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:31:20 +0000

Yes! Laptops for teachers are an essential tool!

Our NZ laptop scheme is great and teacher’s are definitely using them extensively both at home and at school. Also, some of our ‘technologically challenged’ staff find having their own laptop is really helping them on their learning journey.

I agree with Jane above that the NZ Government is certainly getting great “bang for their buck” in their laptop investment…. somehow it doesn’t seem so bad working longer hours when you can type away whilst also watching tv

By: Jane Nicholls

Jane Nicholls — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:26:57 +0000

I like your comment SouthOz, if I hear one more politician cry ‘we need to go back to basics’ when talking about education I’ll scream. I want that so called politician to go to his dentist and say the same thing! Talking about laptops, there have been research papers written about the value of the laptop roll out scheme here in NZ and it has shown that it is one of the most positive factors in the uptake of technology by teachers in the classroom. If you think about it, it is an economical form of PD invested in by the government. Teachers all over NZ are now working for twice as long. The laptop comes out after tea and teachers are planning, surfing, learning, communicating, reflecting … Mmm, now coming to think of it, is that a good thing? That’s another post. But it’s the way we now live and I couldn’t be without it

By: SouthOz

SouthOz — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:30:44 +0000

I agree! Laptops are essential tools for 21st century teachers and I could not operate without one. Victoria’s teacher laptop scheme is an enviable one.
You are fortunate, Graham that your school is supporting its teachers in this way and the returns are obvious!
I could not imagine what it would it would be like to visit my doctor, dentist, accountant/tax agent etc. and be confronted by outdated practice and technology.