Just a point of clarification on the elementary school student laptops in the request. Both White Oak and Bogue Sound are amid building expansion projects that will provide much needed classroom and lab space.

The idea at both schools is to utilize the laptops next year to increase student access. Then, when the construction is finished, they will give the laptops to the teachers and place the teacher computers in the newly available lab space.

There has been many a-time where there has been more than a one-to-one student ratio of students-to-computers both in the library and in the computer lab. Instead of having student cram together so that they can ’share’ the computers, Mrs. Temple can just whip out a lap-top (I swear this woman’s magical sometimes…).Not only are these laptops convenient but that save LOADS of time as far as logging into the school server and loading internet pages as compared to some out-dated science desktops.

While I am all for technological improvements, I do struggle with the concept of laptops for elementary schools. However, I think there are far more urgent needs for this ‘precious’ money that are felt by every school throughout the county.

Morehead Middle School serves around 500 students. Our two computer labs are used for many purposes. One vocational classroom lab is used to teach the NC Standard Course of Study. In these classes, students learn basic keyboarding skills, as well as more complex skills, including applications such as word processing, database, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, and multimedia presentations. Our second lab is used on a rotating basis by our entire staff and their students. North Carolina requires teachers to include computer and other technology skills in their lessons. This lab is continually in use as our teachers create exciting and new ways to use technology in projects and everyday lessons.

MCMS has a need greater than our current computer labs can meet. Therefore, we have moved forward with a plan to bring technology into more classrooms. This plan is supported financially by our parents and students who sold chocolate bars and magazine subscriptions so that we could lease a portable lab. This lab will be in the hands of our students within the next several weeks.

Our portable lab has a three year warranty on parts and replacement, just like the desktop computers funded by the county. These laptops are stored in a secure cart which remains locked when not in use. When the lab is rolled to the classroom, students are assigned a specific laptop. Thus, if problems arise, the situation can be handled properly.

Essentially, the only differences between our portable lab of laptops and the desktop computers sitting in a lab (both have the same productivity and security software) are mobility and flexibility. Laptops give teachers and students the ability to use them in a variety of ways, such as outside labs in science or grouping students into stations in a classroom for cooperative learning projects. Laptops allow more accessibility without the capital outlay to build more labs. We can “make do” with the facilities we have by turning any room into a computer lab.

Rest assured that our students and staff will be trained in the proper care and use of this computer lab, just as they are with all computer inventory at our school. Improper use of technology equipment is dealt with as any other infraction would be. On the other hand, it is our policy to teach students the behaviors we want them to exhibit. We are confident that, with the proper training, they will treat this portable lab as well, if not better, than any other equipment they handle in the school. It is our hope that students will feel a sense of ownership and pride in this lab since they helped earn the money to make the lease possible.

At Morehead City Middle School, we are preparing our students to be 21st century learners who are inquisitive, collaborative, responsible, and independent in their learning. Technology is one of the tools they need now, not just in the future. We live in a technology rich environment. To ignore that fact and limit our schools to pen and paper activities would be a travesty and would put our students at a serious disadvantage when competing for jobs and college admissions. Additionally, we must prepare our students for the North Carolina Computer Skills test which is given in the eighth grade and which all students must pass to graduate from high school. Students must be exposed to technology as much as possible to learn the skills well enough to pass this test.

Our staff welcomes the public to visit our school to see this exciting tool for learning!

http://lraines.edublogs.org/2007/02/07/mcms-response-to-sundays-editorial/

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enjoy

Patrick

Three years ago, Croatan High School “stepped out of the box” and chose to spend technology funds on a wireless laptop cart. What a wise decision! The cart contains 16 Dell laptop computers which are reserved almost every period of the day by teachers who are conducting technology-rich lessons in their classrooms. A teacher who plans to use the laptops simply opens the on-line computer lab schedule which is saved on the school’s server and reserves the laptops for a particular period. The laptops are then delivered to the teacher at the designated time by student interns who work in the media center. When it’s time for the students to begin working, they unplug their laptop from the cart and return to their desks to log onto the school’s network—no wires attached! The laptops are equipped with anti-virus software and the internet content is filtered. The laptops are covered under Dell’s service warranty and those that fail to function properly are called in. Dell then dispatches a service representative who repairs the problem or replaces the broken part within 1-2 days free of charge.

Students and teachers benefit greatly from the opportunities that are provided by the laptops. Within minutes of discussing black history, social studies students can begin to research an individually assigned topic using the Internet and create PowerPoint presentations which will be delivered to their classmates the next day. Science students, after learning about the reactions of certain chemicals, can conduct on-line interactive experiments using the very same chemicals. Math students can practice new concepts and gain immediate feedback by completing on-line quizzes. Exceptional needs students can complete their assignments while getting assistance with spelling and grammar checks. Because of these great learning experiences and the large demand for laptop use, the goal of Croatan High School is to equip each hall with a wireless laptop cart within the next few years!

As for evidence for the value of laptops in the lower grades, we do not have any locally. But I’m sure we can find elementary schools who have gone to a laptop cart before us…even one-to-one. I’m thinking of an elementary school in Stanly County, NC.

As I noted in the budget workshop last week, I find the justification for laptops to be much easier in the higher grades (e.g., middle school and up) than in lower grades. I believe we need some good solid evidence that laptops are cost effective in the lower grades.