Sometimes I think I may have been a real sick in the mud when it comes to laptop computing in my district. Its not that I don't believe in the concept - just that our ability to execute has always been marginal at best. "Shared" computers often get treated like shared textbooks - no one takes ownership over them and then end up getting treated pretty awfully. This is true of any shared computing environment (consider your "swing" labs where there is no teacher who looks out for it.. what shape is in in come May?) but is especially evident with mobile labs where there is so much more that can (and will) go wrong.
In thinking about how to try 1:1 more effectively, I've been rethinking the idea of mobile labs as being the ideal environment for cross-curricular use. In the past, we have used laptop carts as a way of "bringing the technology to the classroom"for teachers in diverse subject areas that often don't have access to a lab, presumably because "computer" course are scheduled in there. The fault in this has been that we are giving the most tentative and temperamental tools to those who often have the least tolerance for failure (a geography teacher has a hard time of thinking about troubleshooting wireless connections as a "teachable moment"). Combine this with the fact that the carts are shared, and you have a recipe for failure in many cases.
So in rethinking, why not put the laptops with the teachers/students where they are most likely to struggle through the learning curve (say, in our BTT1O courses - a bread and butter computer course in our district) and get them out of the labs. This has the effect of freeing up reliable labs for other curriculum areas, and also can help break up the pedagogy in BTT from being a pure "applications" type course and refocus on the business aspects of the curriculum.
One approach we are considering is a 1;1 laptop program where the BTT students in out test school would be assigned a personal laptop for the entire semester. It would be theirs to take home/bring to other classes right up until they finish the course. Buying 2 or 3 class sets of 'netbooks (considering the new revision of the Intel Classmate, likely with Windows, but who knows,,,) isn't over the top expensive - especially when you consider that it frees up a lab in the school.
Still just hashing the idea around, but I'd love to hear if any of this rings true to your own laptop experiences...
Keywords: laptops, mobile labs
Comments
Tim,
I'd like to extent an invitation to you and any members of your team from Ottawa to visit our school district to see our laptop cart deployment. Hopefully you'll see a model that works and perhaps go with something similar for your folks.
Three years ago [over a period of about 8 to 12 months] we deployed 6 Laptop carts to 6 schools. Each mobile cart [we affectionately called them COWS - Computers on Wheels and named the routers after famous cows - - Bessie, etc.] had 16 Dell A610 computers on board with a wireless router attached. Schools had to write a detailed proposal to receive a cart. When the cart was deployed it came with support up front from day one, everything from taking care of this valuable resource to what to do with them and how to use them effectively in the classrooms based on the project needs.
To date, all 6 COW/CART deployments are continuing to be effective. They are in 6 elementary schools for various reasons and projects. There have been bumps along the way, but basically they have been a success because they have been supported by Educational Technology consultants along the way and strong network tech. support.
Please contact me if you would like to drive [not fly] - - or you could I guess and I could pick you up in Kingston if you fly - and I'll tour you around for the day. You won't be sorry as our story is a success story.
Let me know.
Kent
Enhanced Learning Strategy http://www.etsb.qc.ca/en/EnhancedLearningStrategy/default.sht
If you are really thinking about a 1:1 environment, even in a limited way, I suggest you travel to the Eastern Township School Board in Orford, PC, Quebec's only English Language School District. [folks feel free to correct me if I am in error here]
Perhaps you have already spent a day or two in this school district where every student and teacher has an iBook or Macbook. I spent 3 days there last spring. There were teachers there from all across Canada and we toured an elementary school and a High School on the first day then had sessions and a "student lead technology fair" on day two. All amazing events.
It is really worth the time spent to go and immerse yourself in this type of environment. It changed the way we think about laptop deployment.
Kent