Posts Tagged “1:1”

Does this look any different than any other school out there today? At first, you might think yes because students have their own desktop, but of the thirty minutes I spent in this classroom, 20 of it was spent filling out reading logs, silent sustained reading, and shuffling worksheets from one student to the next. As a school described as a Technology High School, I found computers for nearly every student, equipment for every teachers, and skills that did not go far beyond the lowest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. I watched as classes supposedly used multimedia to reinforce the curriculum, but it was more of the same. Teachers read a book with students and then reinforced the plotline and history with a MOVIE!!!!! I asked the teachers how much of the movie would be shown. “We’re going to watch 20 minutes of the movie…” I was relieved to hear that…but then she continued with “…each day until we finish it.” This isn’t promoting higher order thinking, contributing to the greater good of a global community, or nurturing ICT skills or digital literacy. So I have one question, what would you do to support this school’s endeavor to become a technology enriched environment?

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The Intel Classmate PCThe Intel Classmate PC

Intel Classmate PC, HP Mini Note 2133, Dell Mini, Asus EEE PC, Toshiba NB100, Lenovo S10,  the Advent 4211, and the OLPC XO are just some of latest iterations of netbooks that have begun to proliferate the market in the sub-notebook category. So what are the common features of netbooks? Do they have limitations? How we can utilize these devices in teaching and learning?

Netbooks are ultra-portable laptops that provide most of the hardware needed to get the job done. Most recent netbooks come standard with the follow features:

  • 8.9″ Display
  • 512MB- 2 GB RAM
  • Either SSD (solid state disk drive) or HDD hard disk drives
  • SD Card Reader
  • 1 or 2 USB Ports
  • VGA output
  • Headphone & microphone jack
  • Integrated webcam & speakers
  • Linux, Windows XP or Windows Vista Business Edition
  • Ethernet port and wi-fi adapter.
Limitations include:
  • Low performing graphics card or processor.
  • Runs sluggish with newer versions of Windows
  • Lack of built in optical drive
  • Limited number of USB ports
  • Smaller keyboard
  • Poor battery life (in some models

The limitations of netbooks must be realized when determining the purpose they will used for. If you are a ‘media hog’ and love to download or stream high quality audio or video, you might find that netbooks aren’t for you.

Market research indicates that 90% of Amazon’s notebook sales have been netbooks. So what does this mean to educators? While Amazon may account for a large portion of internet sales, school districts are not know for purchasing contracts with them…but families shop there. While many families need and desire a laptop for their 3 kids in elementary, middle, and high school, it is not affordable. Thanks to many of the cheaper models ranging in the $400-$500 range, families are making that wish a reality.

They weigh less than four pounds, don’t require any extra cables, and can run between two and four hours on a standard battery - making it a (nearly) perfect option for classroom note taking, research, product generating, and total curriculum integration.

How many of you are using these in your school? At home? For business? For pleasure?

What limitations have you encountered? In what ways can you see these netbooks become a part of district and state 1:1 initiatives?

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My new toy

My new toy

The HP Mininote 2133 is just one of the many netbooks that have come to the market lately. Ranging between $300 and $600 schools are turning their attention towards netbooks. What experience do you have with these? Where and how have you seen them used? Models like the famous Asus EEE PC (700 and 900 series) as well as the brand new Dell Mini 9 are just some of the latest competitors. They have greater functionality for students and teachers, and less associated apprehension than the OLPCs that are hard to find.

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