Laptops in Latin America and the Caribbean

This week I read about laptops in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Most of it was in English.) Digital literacy is on the move and spreading around the globe. It offers reflections from schools who have used one to one computing; there is a range in views, the good and the bad. One of its links addresses mobile learning and all of the opportunities for students with technology. It opens a world of new opportunities for students.

Computing in El Paso

El Paso is experimenting with one to one computing. They are working with something called the Tip Program. They believe that they are doing well and benefiting from the latest technology. So far, it's been two years in the program, but they feel that they are "making great strides." They gave only positive feedback about the program.

WebQuests

This week out learning module really made me want a Hershey bar. The WebQuest on chocolate was very suggestive. I also liked it because it was fun. The Webquests reminded me of the BuILders we made for S.O.S. Clearly, we are in the midst of a learning trend. I like them because they are interactive for users. They seem so basic to operate...until we have to design one. I haven't gotten to use any WebQuests with students yet, but I do believe that they'd enjoy them.

Pros and Cons

One to one computing is a teaching style to be considered now. Some people feel that it is the best way to teach, others feel that it actually hinders learning. Some educators feel that using state of the art technology increases achievement. Others believe that students with computers get easily distracted and learning time is diminished with a concentration on the technology; other curriculum gets overlooked.

There are pros and cons of using and not using computers constantly. In my summer school class(es) of eighth graders, they often want to use the computers. (There are only two working computers.) In fact today, a few students told me that the Internet is better than books because it's easier to read information. I explained that they still need to know how to read a book. They disagreed. In part, they didn't want to do their work and were stalling, I believe. There were other students who didn't want to use the computers at all; they really must not have wanted to work. I'd never seen anyone refuse an opportunity to work on a computer before. That made me wonder if each student had an individual computer, would they use them (for work)?

Birthday Blog: Assisted Technology

Today is my birthday. Let us blog.

I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about my uncle, Norman. He's in his eighties and lives alone. He rides the bus to go where he needs to go and has always been independent. Uncle Norman has been deaf for as long as he can remember. Grandma used to say that he'd had Whooping Cough as a baby and that's what caused it.

In any case, Uncle Norman has always had a few pieces of technology that work well for him. When we ring his doorbell, his hall light flashes; it's a red light bulb. He has a TTY telephone. That means that I call the TTY operator and he or she dials his phone number (which I give him or her). When Uncle Norman picks up the phone, I tell the operator what I want to say, then say "go ahead" and I wait for a reply from him. We go back and forth, usually briefly. I'm not so used to it; it took a bit of getting used to for me.

Uncle Norman also uses Closed Caption for television. Have you ever tried to keep up with it? It's got to be difficult enough to be deaf, let alone to haveto read so quickly.

Does 1 To One Computing Pay?

It would cost millions of dollars to furnish every student in NYC with personal laptops. Would the end justify the means? On eSchool News , they have a News and Analysis section, where Bill Gates is quoted from the NY Times. He feels that it will really be cell phones, rather than laptops that will be the channel for most people to have Internet access. When not everyone can afford laptops, but many do have cell phones, they can get to the web. Is it a worthwhile venture to invest so much time, training and money in all of these new computers? What happens when the computers become outdated in a short time?

Audio Books

This week we talked about audio books. There are pros and cons. They're ideal for students with visual impairment. They're the easy way out for students who do not want to read. How can we introduce audio books to students and then tell them to go read several hundred pages? The students who should be able to read chapter books seem to lose their love for reading with each passing year. How can we find a balance for students without making them dependent on audio books?

One To One Computing

It's time to bid farewell to elgg and move on to my new subject. For the duration, my next tech topic will be one to one computing. This is the philosophy that every student should have an individual laptop to use in school for learning. The website that explained it to me was http://www.apple.com/education/k12/onetoone/. The rationale is that students will learn better if they have their own computers to utilize. That means everyone gets a laptop, even after leaving the computer lab! Every teacher would become a computer teacher.