Blogs: Betty Ray
Guest Blog: 1:1 Laptop Programs: Shifting the Way Students Learn
By Betty Ray
1/21/10
We came across teacher Chris Ludwig (@chrisludwig) in this week's #edchat. Chris has a great tale to tell about his experience with classroom laptops.
--Betty Ray, Community Manager (@EdutopiaBetty) and Elana Leoni, Online Membership Coordinator (@elanaleoni)
I usually join the 5 p.m. MST #edchat on Twitter, but this past Tuesday (January 19), my colleague @boundstaffpress (Justin Miller) mentioned that I should tune in to the early version of #edchat.
The topic, laptops in the classroom, was one I follow carefully, because I run a science classroom with MacBooks for each student. So I multitasked while teaching and joined some of the #edchat discussion of whether 1:1 laptop programs are the future of education and exactly how such programs are changing education.
One of the main questions at the beginning of #edchat was related to which types of hardware schools choose and whether students get to take them home:
@RonnieGonzalez Does every student need a laptop to take home, or just a desktop in their class? Instead of labs, every classroom with a thin client.
Many hardware choices exist, but for my classroom, I chose to use MacBooks. These laptops are powerful enough to do most any task that desktops can do, but students could use them in my room at their desks without having to travel to a computer lab.
Students use my class set of MacBooks at school but not at home, although I have checked them out for special projects. Students have the ability to personalize their laptop experience, however, and they refer to them as "their" laptops.
Another of the major #edchat concerns was about student misuse:
@seanbanville Big danger is students chatting, surfing, gaming, etc., instead of studying.
@lhiltbr Classroom management is also a huge piece. Make sure students know expected routines/procedures/uses of the tools.
I had these concerns, too, when I first started envisioning how they would be used in class. Therefore, because the laptops were new to the students this school year, I started each class off in August with a Technology Boot Camp, in which we discussed some basics about the laptops themselves but also began a conversation about what kind of class we wanted to have now that everyone had a laptop.
Students do use the computers for a variety of tasks, most of which, but not all, are directly related to classroom learning tasks. I have no problem with students checking their English class ning or reading articles in Forbes as long as they are on track with my content.
I know that they are on these sites because I use Apple’s Remote Desktop to monitor student use of the laptops. I can lock all screens if uninterrupted discussion is necessary or chat privately with a student who is off task or needs help with an assignment.
Probably the biggest area of concern on #edchat was how 1:1 laptops in class would change the role of the teacher and whether teachers could handle the change:
@cybraryman Laptops are wonderful, but teacher needs to know how to incorporate the tech & when and how to use it first.
@evmaiden Teachers won't be replaced by technology, but teachers who don't use tech will be replaced by teachers who do.
My style of teaching and assessment of students has changed dramatically now that everyone has a laptop in class. For example, I now use Edmodo to share assignment files and information with students. This extends my contact time with students who ask questions and turn in assignments anytime or anywhere because my courses are now effectively online.
Assessment of students can be altered, too, since it is possible to deliver flexible student assessments online using my Moodle site. And, most importantly, each student now has the tools to create digital content that shows their level of understanding of a topic.
A class set of laptops has definitely changed how my classes operate. The most exciting change is the spontaneity and interactivity that laptops bring to classroom discussions.
I still lecture at times, but students now have instant access to information besides what I offer, so, if a student finds a relevant example from a reading or a video, they can share that with the whole class. Not only that, but students I have taught in past years who never took notes during lectures are now consistently taking notes using their laptops.
In summary, I think that students with laptops in class are more likely to contribute to class discussions and are able to engage course content in more meaningful ways. So, even though schools like mine aren't yet true 1:1, even a class set of laptops can lead to a major shift in the way students learn.
Check out the rest of the #edchat transcript here. If you have never participated in an #edchat conversation, please join us on Twitter every Tuesday at 12 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CET or at 7 p.m. EST/1 a.m. CET.
Chris Ludwig teaches chemistry, biology, AP Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology at La Junta High School, on the eastern plains of Colorado. He graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology in 1993. He then pursued a doctorate in neuroscience at Washington University, in St. Louis, won a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in 1994, and left the neuroscience program with a master's degree in 1999 to take his love of science back to the community through teaching. Read more.
Comments
Congratulations, Chris, on the 1:1 laptop experience you are giving your high school students. Isn't it wonderful to see how engaged students become when they are empowered to use technology in learning? You're spot on when you say that once they understand how technology will change the learning experience and they are given guidelines of how to work with a tool they enjoy, they begin to demonstrate new levels of initiative and responsibility.
I worked as Head of an Elementary program in Britain. The school had a strong reputation for it's Elearning program which began with 8 year old students. Parents were required to purchase laptops and so because they belonged to the students, they were able to take them home for completing assignments, for research and for pleasurable use as well. To support their decision-making regarding appropriate use of laptops, we conducted workshops for parents and gave periodic talks to children. The school's character education program emphasized qualities such as honesty and responsibility and this was emphasized throughout the school day.
Elearning and laptops were introduced as part of the school's "21st century competencies" curriculum - which identified 10 competencies considered essential to succeed in the 21st century. Data manipulation and verification was a top priority and this lead to the introduction of laptops starting in the elementary school.
The impact on student-learning was powerful. It enhanced the integration of literature into other subjects since students could easily research topics on any subject and then use a variety of media to present their findings; for example, PowerPoint, Photostory, website creation, etc.
I would be eager to share my experience with anyone interested in knowing more about the program. My email address is joanbbradley@gmail.com
Kind regards,
Joan Bernard Bradley, Ed.D.
FREE 02/03 webinar
Hello everyone-
I just came across this FREE 02/03 webinar on "Worry-free Strategies for School Laptop Management." Might be helpful to many of you interested in finding an easy, cost-effective way to manage a 1:1 program. http://bit.ly/6v8WUH
Why not laptops for all students to take home?
Thanks for the comment, Joan. One of the points that I would like to make again is that many school districts (and parents), especially in the current financial climate, are not able to afford a laptop for every student. Even if they could buy laptops there is the whole issue of Internet access at home that could diminish the utility of the personal laptop.
I think most districts should start with a class set for each teacher and work up from there, especially if the district does not have a history of managing student laptops. Fewer laptops are easier to manage and care for and school-based laptops avoid the issue of Internet access at home. A class set of laptops can deliver the benefits of 1:1 access without some of the drawbacks.
What do they do with the laptops?
Our school of 3000 recently purchased 40 laptops with a cart. They roll into our rooms if we are lucky enough to schedule them. After they are there, we word process since we do not have internet access. Then we hook them to the desktop printer, one by one, to print essays.
Although this is quite a beginning, we really wouldn't know what to do if we had internet access. How do we get strong inservice on this????
Very Helpful!
Hello! I am in the very beginning of a pursuing my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and was assigned a blogging experience. The online community that I'm a member of is in the process of encouraging teacher collaboration that goes beyond the school. I'm obssessed with integrating technology in my classroom and am so glad that I came across this website.
I teach Kindergarten in a low income area so accessing personal laptops is not ideal. I would LOVE to be afforded the opportunity...maybe in the future. We do have MAC computers in the classroom, which I LOVE...and so do my students.
I may have to start a fundraising event.
Thanks again for your insight.
Equal access needed!
Both Randy and Dawn highlight the main issue when it comes to 1:1 computing- equal access to technology for all students. I am incredibly lucky to have a class set of laptops, but it wasn't so long ago that I worked in a district where I had to scavenge parts from old PCs to get even one networked computer for students in the classroom. Even in my current school, my classroom is the only one that can claim 1:1 during the school day.
I would like to think that there is hope for schools without 1:1. A grant to the district and some fortunate planning on my part made it happen for me. But schools should not have to rely on luck. School district administrators and board members need to be shown what technology can do to transform education. Then, perhaps, additional funding will find its way into some of our schools to support student learning through technology.
Laptop Cart
Similar to Randy's situation, we have a large cart with about 30 laptops that gets rotated through all the schools in our district (one high school, two middle schools, and three elementary schools). We are able to connect to the internet through the cart's "plug in" to the classroom connection - of course that means unplugging my computer. The laptops are PCs which are already five years old, so the idea of MacBooks for each student in the classroom makes me envious! We have an amazing Mac Lab, so hopefully the MacBooks will make their way to us yet! Congratulations, Chris on your success!
Chris, I do agree that all Districts should provide schools with 1:1 computing. One would think that the "powers that be" would want our children to be able to compete with the world around them. I won't start ranting about the state of education because I could go on forever. Instead, I'll try to focus on the positive. Grant writing and community support are essential to getting technology into classrooms. I've been in contact with a company that is willing to donate old computers to our school. Every little bit counts.
I am an elementary special education teacher and my school has a lap top cart for each floor of the school. They are a great tool and I use them two to three times a week. They are a great motivator and the kids can easily use and navigate them. We have wireless internet so they are easy to take care of. I use a site called, Achieve3000.com. It's a reading program in which students read newspaper articles(on their reading level) and complete activities based on the reading. Another site is www.brainpop.com. This is a fun website that plays short movies on a variety of topics. It's a great introduction to lessons. Administration would like us to use technology at least once a day. It is very hard to fit that in but well worth it when I am able to do it. I see a difference in my student's behavior and work habits. Lap tops keep them focused and entertained while learning. I would love it if my students could have their own lap top. www.donorschoose.com is a great site in which you can post requests for supplies and such and people donate what you need. I am not sure if this is nation wide or just for New York City, but it doesn't hurt to check it out!
Useful in many ways
Hello to all!
I am new to a blog like this, but I am glad I logged on to this. Congrats Chris, on 1:1 computing!
I recently have received 6 laptops and a virtual Chem-lab software for conducting dry labs in my classroom, through writing a grant. As the science fair competition is coming up, I am planning to hook up these laptops to the internet (it is down now) so that the students can do the research and word processing works related to their projects too. I have bought a router as well to go wireless. However, have to wait till the internet is up. The students will have to take turn to use them. I wish the district provided 1:1 computing in near future. As Andrea wrote, I also have noticed students fully focused in learning while they are working with the laptops. I have concerns like students misusing the laptops going to internet game sites or so. I read solutions from the conversations here. It is very helpful. Thank you.