Comments on: Laptopmania http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:04:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Michelle Harrison http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13705 Michelle Harrison Sun, 25 May 2008 19:07:28 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13705 Graham, I really enjoyed reading your reflection about the impact of the portable computer lab on your classroom. It seems to me that you really wanted to use what was available to you regardless of when that time to use the laptops was available. I think it’s sad that some of your colleagues refuse to use the portable computer lab first thing in the morning because its “prime learning time” to them. My question to them is why not use the technology that is available to help enhance the lesson you are trying to teach during this very important time of the day? I really don’t understand how they can be so ignorant and not want to utilize the technology that is available to them. They should consider themselves lucky to have a portable computer lab to use when so many other school districts do not. I also agree with what the teacher next door had to say about laptop availability. The first school district I taught in had a portable computer lab. I was very excited to have such technology available considering it was nearly impossible to book computer lab time. Not to mention, the computer lab was in the library so that was also frustrating. However, I too, I had trouble deciding when to use this technology even though I was excited to be able to bring the computer lab to my classroom. I did not have a prearranged time to use the laptops each week, but I could understand how she felt about having the computers to use and not being able to determine when you might need it. I liked the idea of having the computers on stand by. It would be nice to use whenever you might need it. Graham,

I really enjoyed reading your reflection about the impact of the portable computer lab on your classroom. It seems to me that you really wanted to use what was available to you regardless of when that time to use the laptops was available. I think it’s sad that some of your colleagues refuse to use the portable computer lab first thing in the morning because its “prime learning time” to them. My question to them is why not use the technology that is available to help enhance the lesson you are trying to teach during this very important time of the day? I really don’t understand how they can be so ignorant and not want to utilize the technology that is available to them. They should consider themselves lucky to have a portable computer lab to use when so many other school districts do not.

I also agree with what the teacher next door had to say about laptop availability. The first school district I taught in had a portable computer lab. I was very excited to have such technology available considering it was nearly impossible to book computer lab time. Not to mention, the computer lab was in the library so that was also frustrating. However, I too, I had trouble deciding when to use this technology even though I was excited to be able to bring the computer lab to my classroom. I did not have a prearranged time to use the laptops each week, but I could understand how she felt about having the computers to use and not being able to determine when you might need it. I liked the idea of having the computers on stand by. It would be nice to use whenever you might need it.

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13685 Graham Wegner Wed, 14 May 2008 23:14:36 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13685 Greg, you know I'll bite every time. Greg, you know I’ll bite every time.

]]> By: gregc5 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13683 gregc5 Wed, 14 May 2008 22:30:12 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13683 LOL .... projectors are great ... the Wii remote technology provides promise for lowering the price too (of the IWB concept). I do think IWB's have great potential but just cost wayyyy too much at the mo to justify purchase. At the recent L@S conference they had prismatic projectors that then hang only a short distance from the actual board and project through a periscope sort of arrangement. Means kids/teachers are not having to think about not working in the shadow which is good too. Just pulling your leg ... :-) Greg LOL …. projectors are great … the Wii remote technology provides promise for lowering the price too (of the IWB concept). I do think IWB’s have great potential but just cost wayyyy too much at the mo to justify purchase.
At the recent L@S conference they had prismatic projectors that then hang only a short distance from the actual board and project through a periscope sort of arrangement. Means kids/teachers are not having to think about not working in the shadow which is good too.
Just pulling your leg … :-)
Greg

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13680 Graham Wegner Wed, 14 May 2008 10:36:46 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13680 I would put forward the idea that both are useful tools for the progressive teacher. The ability to display and interact with concepts, model information skills on the fly are all things I have found are better working at the IWB rather than be disconnected by tapping away at a keyboard remotely .... because I hope there is still room for data projectors in your IWB free school! I would put forward the idea that both are useful tools for the progressive teacher. The ability to display and interact with concepts, model information skills on the fly are all things I have found are better working at the IWB rather than be disconnected by tapping away at a keyboard remotely …. because I hope there is still room for data projectors in your IWB free school!

]]> By: gregc5 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13679 gregc5 Wed, 14 May 2008 09:32:26 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13679 yeah Graham ... its the anywhere any time factor that we have found to be important too. Booking a laptop cart is not that much different to booking a lab?? My aim is to have 2-3 desktops per classroom and pods of three/four laptops and a digital camera that can be used whenever and wherever they are needed. Part way there so far .... hay .... "the use of IWB technology in the classroom. I could introduce a resource, an idea or a starting point on the IWB which allowed one student at a time to access and manipulate....." doesn't this make my point about the cost/benefit of IWB's .... lol. cheers Greg yeah Graham … its the anywhere any time factor that we have found to be important too. Booking a laptop cart is not that much different to booking a lab??
My aim is to have 2-3 desktops per classroom and pods of three/four laptops and a digital camera that can be used whenever and wherever they are needed. Part way there so far ….

hay …. “the use of IWB technology in the classroom. I could introduce a resource, an idea or a starting point on the IWB which allowed one student at a time to access and manipulate…..” doesn’t this make my point about the cost/benefit of IWB’s …. lol.
cheers
Greg

]]> By: Chris Harbeck http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13652 Chris Harbeck Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:55:32 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13652 Interesting developments Graham. I can appreciate the timetabling issues that must happen when sharing the pod of laptops. My school has one smartboard. I was using it everyday and every class. I have to share though. The board was placed in different rooms around the school and use sporadically. I am all for sharing but it is important to teach users how to use the technology and have the kids actively interacting with the hardware. At some point the price of the hardware will match the budgets of the school divisions. Nice to hear of your successes. Keep up with the updates. I hope you have many more "steps in the right direction" Chris Interesting developments Graham. I can appreciate the timetabling issues that must happen when sharing the pod of laptops. My school has one smartboard. I was using it everyday and every class. I have to share though. The board was placed in different rooms around the school and use sporadically. I am all for sharing but it is important to teach users how to use the technology and have the kids actively interacting with the hardware. At some point the price of the hardware will match the budgets of the school divisions.

Nice to hear of your successes. Keep up with the updates. I hope you have many more “steps in the right direction”

Chris

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13649 Graham Wegner Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:09:49 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13649 I think that the ultranotebook is the way forward for improved access in classrooms. I must admit that the ASUS eeepc is an attractive option from a pedagogical point of view - a class set of these or kids bringing their own in would really open up the possibilities for options like Scratch. (Although I suppose that's not really an excuse not to be using it already!) The snag comes with the need to connect laptops within a school setting onto the school network - the vast majority of technicians will baulk at cross-platforming a Linux based machine onto a Windows based server. Politics permeates every level of school decision making - that is probably the biggest barrier to lower-powered, simpler-featured ultranotebooks. Plus the (mis)perception that you need to run "industry standard" proprietary software or risk disadvantaging the students - rack that idea up to teacher comfort levels perhaps. I definitely think that use of a personal computer as a learning tool will be hobbled by partial access and older methods of learning have to stay in place to cover the gap. And do we trust our students enough to give them a <strong>personal</strong> laptop for their own use? That would require a teaching force capable of effectively leveraging and modelling appropriate use of those same technologies. I think that the ultranotebook is the way forward for improved access in classrooms. I must admit that the ASUS eeepc is an attractive option from a pedagogical point of view – a class set of these or kids bringing their own in would really open up the possibilities for options like Scratch. (Although I suppose that’s not really an excuse not to be using it already!)

The snag comes with the need to connect laptops within a school setting onto the school network – the vast majority of technicians will baulk at cross-platforming a Linux based machine onto a Windows based server. Politics permeates every level of school decision making – that is probably the biggest barrier to lower-powered, simpler-featured ultranotebooks. Plus the (mis)perception that you need to run “industry standard” proprietary software or risk disadvantaging the students – rack that idea up to teacher comfort levels perhaps.

I definitely think that use of a personal computer as a learning tool will be hobbled by partial access and older methods of learning have to stay in place to cover the gap. And do we trust our students enough to give them a personal laptop for their own use? That would require a teaching force capable of effectively leveraging and modelling appropriate use of those same technologies.

]]> By: Bill Kerr http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13648 Bill Kerr Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:04:48 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13648 Very interesting report Graham, thanks. ie. how you have been juggling IWB, with computer lab with laptops on trollies and how you have been dealing with the access question. I'll pass this on to others at my school since we have been talking about these sorts of questions as increased access becomes possible through Kevin Rudd's "digital revolution". I agree strongly with the comment from "the teacher next door", ie. full access can lead to more than 2x the learning of half access. I base this on personal experience, described <a href='http://www.users.on.net/~billkerr/a/isdp.htm' rel="nofollow">here </a> - not that I had one computer per student but that I had exclusive access to computers because they were old and other teachers weren't interested. My other thought would be that as computer usage in schools becomes more ubiquitous then the software teachers use might need to be rethought too, eg. I would recommend <a href='' rel="nofollow"> Scratch </a>, for example, as software which integrates really well into maths, science, social ed etc. enabling that subject content to be enriched. Very interesting report Graham, thanks. ie. how you have been juggling IWB, with computer lab with laptops on trollies and how you have been dealing with the access question. I’ll pass this on to others at my school since we have been talking about these sorts of questions as increased access becomes possible through Kevin Rudd’s “digital revolution”.

I agree strongly with the comment from “the teacher next door”, ie. full access can lead to more than 2x the learning of half access. I base this on personal experience, described here – not that I had one computer per student but that I had exclusive access to computers because they were old and other teachers weren’t interested. My other thought would be that as computer usage in schools becomes more ubiquitous then the software teachers use might need to be rethought too, eg. I would recommend Scratch , for example, as software which integrates really well into maths, science, social ed etc. enabling that subject content to be enriched.

]]> By: Allanahk http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13646 Allanahk Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:36:52 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13646 Having access to laptops was the biggest single improvement to making our on-line connections more like a conversation. The more I see computer suites in primary schools the more they seem like dinosaurs of the the 20th century. I asked a secondary school teacher recently what was it that she taught- she said computer skills- I asked her in what context- she said she taught computer skills, there was no context. That is what you get if you have flash computer suites all over the place. If I had to do that I would go spare! Having access to laptops was the biggest single improvement to making our on-line connections more like a conversation.

The more I see computer suites in primary schools the more they seem like dinosaurs of the the 20th century. I asked a secondary school teacher recently what was it that she taught- she said computer skills- I asked her in what context- she said she taught computer skills, there was no context.

That is what you get if you have flash computer suites all over the place. If I had to do that I would go spare!

]]> By: alexanderhayes http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/comment-page-1/#comment-13643 alexanderhayes Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:17:03 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/04/27/laptopmania/#comment-13643 Wouldnt it be anazing if trolleys werent needed and every student has access to a bank of eeepc's or OLPC's and they could book them out semster by semester with a refundable deposit to take home and demo to Mum & Dad just how cool the connections were inside and outside. Wouldnt it be anazing if trolleys werent needed and every student has access to a bank of eeepc’s or OLPC’s and they could book them out semster by semester with a refundable deposit to take home and demo to Mum & Dad just how cool the connections were inside and outside.

]]>