Education

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Laptops for the video game crowd: motivation and money

An experimental program in Maine has demonstrated laptops to be a valuable tool for students and educators. For the 2002-2003 school year, 17,000 seventh graders were techno guinea pigs, touting their state-provided Apple iBooks to class.

The Maine Education Policy Research Institute analyzed the program at mid-year and found that students were more enthusiastic about school work, absenteeism was way down, discipline problems were fewer and the quality of students’ work was greater. Not to mention that parents and teachers felt positive about the program, many of them convinced that the laptops make all the difference in students’ willingness to learn.

Although public schools have utilized computers for some time, many claim that the laptop program is distinctive. Since each individual student and teacher gets a laptop, the computers function as personal tools for improvement. Administrators suggest that the laptops transform teaching and learning. But is this transformation a positive one?

No More Books

Students in the laptop program are more likely to use Internet resources instead of library books. Depending on your point of view, this could be good or bad. Many public school libraries are filled with outdated books, whereas the Internet provides up-to-date information.

However, many Internet resources provide inaccurate information. Teachers now have the responsibility of guiding students through the Internet, suggesting sites that provide useful, truthful information.

Techie Teachers

Teachers must be tech savvy for the personal laptops to be useful. Some Maine teachers have needed additional training in order to make use of the laptops in their classrooms, and this training is not the only additional expense. Some rural classrooms have limited electrical capacity, which they have had to upgrade at considerable cost.

Money well spent?

Maine signed a four-year $37 million contract with Apple Computers for the laptops, tech support, software and some tech training. Many argue that this money would be better spent on other things, such as healthcare or education materials for a greater number of students. Security might be an issue if a student walks home, carrying a valuable machine.

But, when these seventh graders go on to eighth grade next year, they will take their laptops with them, and the incoming seventh graders will be issued new laptops. So for 2003-2004, more students will reap the benefits of this year’s successful program.

Although quite successful now, some fear that these students may have problems once they advance to higher grades and have to leave their laptops behind. They may be so used to the virtual classroom, that the actual one may seem less-than-stimulating.

Does it make any sense to spend money on techniques that don’t work? Can and will we afford to do what works?

Posted on: 6/5/2003

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