open%20new%20world%20for%20students.html>.
This article covers information about an elementary school which has benefited from having some laptops that were provided with donations as well as school funding. The school is Belle Haven and it is a bay area elementary school who worked with HP to get 400 laptops for their students. The school is in a low socio-economic neighborhood so that is the reason HP has supported them. The school had to pay some of the funding - $1 million. Overall the principal at the school is happy with the program and its results. She sees kids feeling good about themselves as they conduct Internet research, do quizzes for math problems, and use word processing to write letters. She stated, �Having laptops has renewed students� excitement about school.� One of the best plans for success at this site has been requiring the parents to go through training before their child could get a laptop. This allows the parents to assist their child in their education. It has also been known to motivate parents to further their educations. Most importantly, this article states the teachers have changed their way of teaching � no longer do they use the encyclopedias or outdated textbooks to generate a lesson. Instead, they can do current topics and show students how to find the best Website or lead them to wonderful places like the Library of Congress page. It has been very successful at this school site so far.
This is a fascinating article on the effect computers have on the human memory. There is no scientific proof that computers are reducing memory but only opinions that it is. The argument is made that since children use computers so much (the digital age) that they can no longer think for themselves, nor do they have any sort of imagination. I think these people just need to embrace the reality - computers are here to stay so we better just start thinking and working differently to adapt. Survival of the fittest right?
area/archives/TL/200105/laptops.html>.
In this article the states of Maine and New York can be seen putting laptop programs to work. Maine�s Governor used the $50 million surplus to get every 7th and 8th grader and their teacher a laptop and has seen much success. The New York City Board of Education started all 4th graders and their teachers out with laptops and proposed that in 2002, 850,000 portable devices would be given to students, administrators and teachers. The article did not follow up to say if this occurred but the fact that it was supported so wholeheartedly by this board of education proves the value placed in it. The overall message � �laptop programs are working�. The article stated the best part is the one-to-one computing. No longer is it four students per computer, three, two, or even one �, it is one-to-one and it is working. The laptop program can be seen as one �workable way� to solve low achievement. These two states value the programs and really see that it will change the way teachers teach and students learn � the best outcome.
This article is an overview of the laptop program in Bloomfield, CT. From April 1998-September 1998 all 848 students at a middle school there had laptops and were online. This article stated it was too early for hard statistics on the success of the program but certainly there were opinions about it. Teachers and administrators stated it was motivating the students to learn as they were excited to research, write and share problems with the laptops. The person in charge of technical support with these laptops stated students are �learning perseverance when the technology is slow or does not work.� Overall, these educators felt the laptops were creating a sense of learning everyday. To get the laptops the school spent $2 million and parents have to pay $60 per year for insurance. So at this school, all students have a laptop as they felt equity was crucial in the success. Basically, the program allows teachers to become facilitators in the education of the students. At this school, administration supported the teachers by providing them with their laptops sixth months before the students got one and sent them through training. The principal at this school said the laptops have not only helped raise academic scores, but suspensions decreased 50-60% the first year the school had them. The biggest argument over laptop programs nation-wide is the spending � should it be school funded or parent funded. Overall, people feel that computers are here to stay and that this is one way to ensure students will learn how to use them.
This article briefly covers the Digital California Project. It relays the importance of a high speed Internet connection at every school in California. One reason this speed is needed is so teachers can feel comfortable and confident that if they are doing an Internet lesson, it will have a nice flow without any glitches. CalREN/DC states it will create the ability to "deliver resources for teachers and students-fast and reliably." This reliable and fast Internet connection is crucial for teachers and students as searches are being conducted and information delivered. This is a great program.
If you want to use the Big 6 in your schools, this book is a must read. It gives great definitions of the various steps and wonderful examples that can be used or manipulated to be of value to anyone. It also provides reasons this research method is and has been successful.
This article poses a serious question about what differences having a computer will make to a child versus not having the finances to have one. It is an example of a problem that has been with us forever, but shows how serious not having a computer might be to the education of a youngster. It also shows how much children are relying on the computers in their classrooms to narrow the huge gap between these haves and have-nots. This is a serious issue and this article raises some questions all educators and administrators should take into account when they are figuring out school budgets.
