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OP
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A friend wrote to me that an elementary school near him has given up textbooks: at the beginning of the year, they hand each student a laptop and say that all learning will be done via the laptops. What do you all think?
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Carpal Tunnel
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How long would it take a dull pupil to learn how to use a laptop? How many of the bright ones would use it constructively? With one teacher for forty pupils it would be a disaster.
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Carpal Tunnel
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How long would it take a dull pupil to learn how to use a laptop? My guess would be, not long. All kids seem to have an aptitude for computers and video games, somehow. How many of the bright ones would use it constructively? Guessing again, I'd say probably most--but not all the time. With one teacher for forty pupils it would be a disaster. I don't think elementary classes are normally that big, but yes, I do think you have a point. I hadn't even thought about the fact that it might be difficult to make sure that the kids are all (heh) on the same page; or at least, that it might take extra time to ensure that they are.
My major concern stems from the fact that I learn things better if I can see them again and again. This can be easy to do with books; considerably more difficult with computers. But what I'd really like is some input from teachers...
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journeyman
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journeyman
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But what I'd really like is some input from teachers...
Here's what one teacher at Woodley Hills Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia where every kid in her class got a laptop has to say:
"For Jane Duryea, a sixth-grade science teacher at Mantua, the laptops have already proven their worth.
'I love them,' said Duryea. 'It has been simple to bring the computers into the curriculum. It has really helped the students with graphing and drawing. I have also seen that many of the students are writing more and learning to edit their work much more thoroughly since we started using the laptops."
Maine completed its first year with laptops in school in June. Conclusion:
EDITORIAL: Laptop program needs evidence to show it works
Maine's experiment with laptop computers is drawing to the end of its first year, and anecdotally, it was a great success in many of the state's public middle schools. Anecdotes, unfortunately, won't pay the bill. [June 11, 2003]
For more news about Maine's program, go to:
http://news.mainetoday.com/indepth/laptops/#news
A laptop on every school desk doesn't mean "bookless", of course. Are any of these schools really "bookless"?
If a kid reads a book on a screen, is that the same experience as reading the same book off a shelf? Does the tactile experience of a book add anything?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Does the tactile experience of a book add anything?
Probably not. But who knows? It's just not the same without the smell of the wood fire in the back of the room.
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Are any of these schools really "bookless"?
Yes, if I understood correctly; and that's my whole point. Though I can certainly see that computers are an aid to learning--even a very powerful aid. I have also seen for myself that kids write more on computers than they had been willing to before; but I confess I'm wondering whether that tendency will continue, once computer use is as common as pen and pencil have been.
Anyway--I'm sticking with my instinct/training that tells me that a lot of people learn best with visual reinforcement. I can envision kids sitting at their desks, thinking, "Now, how is that word spelled, again?", or, "What do I need to do to divide fractions?", etc. And I can't help but think that it's easier/quicker just to have the book open, so that the students can see the help and their work at the same time, instead of having to switch windows all the time. Though I suppose they could have small windows side by side. Which makes me think of a couple of other things: 1.) I wonder if any research has been done on the effects of long-time computer use on kids' vision, and 2.) could a student who is prone to seizures be in one of these classrooms?
I am not against the use of computers/laptops in the classroom, not by any means. But I do have concerns about using no books at all.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I have no *issue with electronic media replacing "old ink and paper" (I make a few 'doll-hairs' just turning them on in the morning), but I'll bet y'all the rest of the cablingy I ever make in that capacity that one's sense of timing and continuity within the context of 'the read' is shattered every five minutes by the announcement of "You've Got Mail" (If, of course, you believe that timing and continuity of 'the read' holds any value). As an undergraduate I could probably buy second hand books or share with friends which made it possible for me to afford school. This requirement, although all well and good in its intention, will drive a steak even further between the have's and have-not's, and is, from what I gather, mainly technology for the sake of technology... I mean... technology for the sake of advertisement... I mean... technology for the sake of economy. Don't think for a moment that this isn't the same thing as requiring students to buy a TV... (OK you can have a moment, but that's all!  ) One good thing: I'm more than happy to see "beta testing" on new wireless technology done with students rather than in *the workplace...
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undergraduate...possible for me to afford school. Indeed. We just sent our daughter off to college, and the information all but said outright that they expected each student to bring his or her own computer. And printer. (Well, they said that to use the university's printers, the charge would be a dollar a page...)
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Carpal Tunnel
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can't help but think that it's easier/quicker just to have the book open, so that the students can see the help
My Godson attends Boston University (BU) and even the dorms are wired for DSL! My son has DSL and can have several pages up simultaneously so the situation Jackie mentions may not be an issue.
That said, there is something about books - I think it would be hard to manage a computer while snuggled up in bed - books are easier to adjust.
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veteran
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veteran
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If it's really "bookless," I think it's a bad idea UNLESS there is a lot of meticulous planning and training (for teachers) that has taken place first.
Computers are great aids for classrooms and studying. They could conceivably replace books cheaply - but at what cost?
I'm not opposed to giving this a try. If it works, we can try it in some more places. But I would be opposed to trying this on a large scale until it's had some considerable success on the small scale.
I've been to Mantua. This is a very wealthy neighborhood to begin with, and they got a HUGE bit of money because of a lawsuit and they've got all kinds of stuff. Their student laptops - at least the ones I saw - did not appear to be general purpose computers.
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