Web 2.0 is upon
us and it is what we make of it. From
social networks to Google Docs, there is a whole host of resources and
technologies out there. The best thing
is that for the most part it is all free.
Free that is, if you can access it that is which mean having a device
that can connect to the internet. For
schools we have all heard about the one laptop for every student. This is what is known as 1:1. Jeff Utecht says “There is no one way to go 1:1” and I agree. I think that we need
to think beyond the computer and look at devices that are already infiltrating
out schools. I think 1:1 will occur and
is occurring right now, not necessarily with a laptop for every student but
with the adoption of smart phones and other multi-use devices. These
devices are faster and more capable than laptops of 10 years ago and fit in
your pocket. You can go into schools where there may only be one computer
per classroom but I can assure you that there are more than a few iphone/android
smart phones in pockets that are probably faster than the computer in the
class. In most school districts the use of these devices are banned, and
for obvious reasons. We worry about cheating, playing games, and many
other negative uses that these devices can be used for. I think that it
is time to start looking at the positive things that these devices can
bring. They can not only be used as calculators, research devices, there
are even apps that will turn it into a clicker or student response device.
Now I'm not saying that they would be used 100% percent of the time for
educational purposes and the teacher might have to have a more active role in
monitoring the use of these devices. Let’s be honest though, even at
schools where these devises are banned, the students have them and use them
every day and it is rarely educational. I think with a good set of
guidelines in place for the use of such devices and with teachers
monitoring the use, these devices can be used for a multitude of educational applications.
There are already some schools moving in this direction and I think
there will only be more to follow. The
revolution is upon us, are you prepared?
I totally agree. Laptops are becoming a little outdated-as I write this comment from my iPad. I enjoy my iPad much more than my laptop. I can fit it into a regular to large size bag. I use it for the calendars, grocery lists, calculators, reading, and church. I hardly ever use my laptop, which is a large 17 inch Dell laptop that I used to love...until my iPad. I think the majority of students already have some type of mobile device and this would be so useful in the classroom. The expense of having to purchase an updated calculator each year would just about cover the cost, especially when you're talking about the more expensive graphing calculators.
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