Laptops

**LAPTOP COMPUTERS 1:1 **
By Wejdan Hack and Ann Saucer

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=An Overview of Laptop Computers 1:1 = = = Laptop 1:1 is a program that has been exploding in many school districts around the United States in the last ten years. “At least one of every six US districts now has some form of laptop program in one or more schools, encouraged by both the falling prices of computers and the positive public perception generated by promoting such an initiative” (Rockman, 2004). Its initiative is to provide the students of today a learning environment that utilizes technology in the classroom. The program provides the teachers and students with laptops for their use in school and at home. Depending on the budget, many schools were able to supply the laptops and some districts would have multi-year leasing and purchasing options for the parents.

In grades K-12, teachers and students are using laptops in class rooms for educational games, looking up educational information; using it for presentations by students or lessons by teachers alike. Laptop computers can give schools media centers, teachers, and students great access to many different resources on the web.

This learning environment empowers students by giving them a world of information at their fingertips. Through research it is believed that 1:1 laptop gives both a quantitative and qualitative measure to the student’s knowledge. Not only, does it help students but also supplies teachers with a great benefit in instructional practices. It has been proven through many studies that it changes the way students learn and teachers facilitate the information. Teachers need to cater to student’s interest in this digital age and they require right guidance through today's technology. By means of the laptop initiative, facilitators can network the learning process through the following: communication, information, production, and organization.

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In Education Classroom:

Laptop 1:1 program’s initiative is to revolutionize the classroom. This is the future of learning. The effects of learning through technology can expand the levels of communication, organization, access to information, and student production. The stimulation can give teachers a powerful tool as facilitators.

The first advantage is laptop 1:1 supplies students’ different levels of communication. Students can communicate with other students and their teachers regarding schoolwork through the internet by different methods such as email, chats and blogging. Teachers can utilize "@cloud computing" sources by having web pages for their class where students and parents can know what is going in the classroom.

The second benefit is the tools for organization. Students, through technology, learn to set up reminders, keep a calendar, categorizing notes and school/home work, scan documents, etc…. They also learn about the folder and file structures of the computer helping to make the computer less of an obstacle and more of a friendly tool. Teachers can supply notes, handouts, assignments, and any other class work on their web pages giving students instant access to information they may have not had before.

The third gain is easy access to information. Both teachers and students can access different network resources that can aide them in their work as well as access to the resources they are accustomed to using a different medium.

The fourth advantage is student’s and teacher’s increase in productivity. For instance, it gives students better attitudes toward writing and performance. This increases motivation on both alternatives to each others' understanding; by giving students more opportunities to practice their studies in different ways and teachers better prospects in analyzing the students understanding through sophisticated software.

Thus, the learning environments are transformed. Mobility becomes the key in the program. Techniques in assessments changes, teachers are more willing to assign presentations and multimedia products to students. This allows students to become more highly engaged in the learning in which decreases behavioral issues and increases attendance.

**Media Centers:**

Most libraries today are trading their collection of books to interactive media centers. Even publishers are opting into digital copies of books, including textbooks. Many schools (mainly colleges now) are giving students a choice of downloading a digital copy of textbooks. This is a major transformation that is occurring in schools and is a great advantage to the laptop 1:1 program that has been exploding in school districts the past ten years. Thus, with the initiative of the laptop 1:1 program school media centers will provide the same resources through technology. Students will be able to record videos, pod casts, create projects, and connect virtually to the biggest library: the internet.

Examples of Laptop 1:1 implemented in U.S. schools districts:

[|Edgecombe County Public Schools in NC]

[|Irving Independent School Districts]

[|Kent School Districts: Seattle, WA]

[|Cullman City Schools: Alabama]

[|Florida Schools and more]

Pros

 * 1) Empowers students and teachers
 * 2) Easy access to resources
 * 3) Easy access to communication
 * 4) Organization
 * 5) Gets them ready for the future

**Cons**
 * 1) Supplying laptops
 * 2) Cost of software
 * 3) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Internet availability
 * 4) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Training of teachers in available software
 * 5) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Constant upgrades of hardware and software

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 201.6%;">References <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Dunleavy, M., Dexter, S., & Heinecke, W. (2007). What Added Value Does a 1:1 Student to Laptop Ratio Bring to Technology-Supported Teaching and Learning?. //Journal of Computer Assisted Learning//, //23//(5), 440-452. Retrieved from ERIC database. []

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Holcomb, L. (2009). Results & Lessons Learned from 1:1 Laptop Initiatives: A Collective Review. //TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning//, //53//(6), 49-55. Retrieved from ERIC database. []

Penuel.R.W. (2006) Implementation & Effects of One-to-One Computing Initiations: A Research Synthesis. // International Society for Technology in Education //. 38 (3) Retrieved From: []

Owen, A. (Ed). (2005) Teaching in the One-to-One Classroom: It's not about laptops, it's about empowerment! // International Society for Technology in Education //. 12-16. Retrieved From: [] ​ Rockman, S. (2004). Getting Results with Laptops. Retrieved from :[]

Levin, H. (2005). Laptop Program Update: Reflections on the effects of One-to-One Computing in a High School. // International Society for Technology in Education //. 17-20. Retrieved from: []