We're gathering data about whether a laptop initiative makes sense for us. Please share your thoughts about your experiences using the laptop carts with your classes here at Pollard.
Here's what we're looking for:
1. Here's what I tried...
2. Here's how it went...
3. What I/we learned from this experience
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15 comments:
Deb,
I have used the laptops for lessons giving access to primary sources online. I have given the students a worksheet and guidance in using primary sources, especially if it was a facsimile of something printed in the C18th.
I found that students with more traditional learning styles and higher literacy skills were more engaged in the lesson but having the laptops to use actually kept all students more engaged than they might otherwise have been. I was conferencing with students at the same time.
I followed your advice about the behavioral guidelines -- no use of any other website with the consequence of an impact on the overall grade. Nearly all students followed that. I tried an experiment with my less able classes and allowed them a few minutes on Youtube at the end so long as they had stayed focused during the lesson and the incentive worked.
Managing the logistics have been easier as students become more practiced at the routine for giving out, with a laptop cart manager checking names, and returning. Most students have been respectful of the rules Gayle established when we use Inner Space. It would be nice to have the laptops in my classroom but the desks are not stable enough. That has become a frustration the more I have used the laptops.
I have also used them for CSL research and that has been really useful -- I can check in with students, help them with search words and because they feel good about the laptops, nearly all of them have remained on task, as far as I could see circulating round. I am aware that it is easy for 8th graders to hide pages but to some extent that seems inevitable. Hence the more severe consequence for straying onto inappropriate sites, and the need to be able to trust them to some extent.
I really enjoy those laptop lessons and the students look forward to them too.
Lois S.
A comment for all Pollard teachers using the laptop cart...
.. especially about YouTube. Since this is live streaming video content(large files) and 25 students are doing this all at once, this could have a significant impact on the bandwidth of the Pollard network throughout the school. In other words, it could slow down access to anything and printing. Please remember that the internet pipe is a finite size and we also share it with the district.
To continue my previous thread...have you accessed Teacher Tube? Check out the video, "Pay Attention" (most viewed). The content really supports our 1:1 study.
http://www.teachertube.com/video.php?category=mv&viewtype=
And then go back and check out the content for your curriculum. A very rich resource!
While I haven't had the chance to use the laptops in my classroom, I was recently in the computer lab attempting a new lesson. We were working with an applet that allowed students to discover graphing on their own. I directed the students to the day's activities through my website, which allowed students to get right to work. I did notice it was difficult to gather their attention once their attention had shifted to the computer screen, and I can now fully appreciate the power of being able to say "lids down" when I have important information to pass along to the students (as well as the importance of that being an established routine).
From the experience I learned the importance of being very very very clear in directions and expectations. I worry about how well students are able to read the steps and keep up with the instructions. I felt that more time before the students were allowed access to the computers would allow more information to pass without distraction, but at the same time students might not know they had questions until they tried to start an assignment. Overall, I feel that if students were given learning experiences involving a single computer more often, they would become more independent problem solvers. That is a skill that would help them long after they've passed through the middle school.
I have tried another experiment in terms of using the laptops for drafting an essay to practice essay writing skills. The topic was reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of the constitutional convention experience. Students were to practice the skill of relating directly to the question. I uploaded a graphic organizer to my homework website as an attachment in Word, for them to work in if they chose that option.They were to work on the rough draft in class with my supervision then finish the final draft for homework.
During this process I found that some students wanted the hard-copy paper version regardless of the laptops,and I had copies ready in case. Some students who find writing difficult seemed to assume they could just compose straight onto the screen and had difficulty, so used the packets for brainstorming. Some students refused to do that and ended up with very little at the end of class. It was gratifying to see some students who struggle with assignments actually benefit from the laptops (including some who bought headsets and were working with music on - I have found this to be helpful to students in fact) and email their work to themselves to work on further at home.
It seemed to me that some of the most able students chose to handwrite and stick with familiar skills. I also realized that I should be assigning seating or moving students more frequently in Inner Space so that I had more control over seating as I had in my classroom ( again - a frustration of not being able to take the laptop cart to my room because of the tippy desks). Some students did not know how to email saved work to themselves and so we tried to print what they had but the printer in Inner Space would not work! So we saved to desktops and will try again tomorrow.
I have not seen the final drafts of all students yet but for many it seemed to be a fun task and a productive one, and one that kept the students engaged. I think I could improve on my uploaded graphic organizer next time and I could control seating more effectively. It was an activity that could have been done with paper in the classroom. It could also have been more effective if we had done this kind of writing before and the students had familiarity with the process.
The same students who do not read directions or do not listen in the class were the same students who were not using those skills in Inner Space. But the difference was that some weaker students just apply themselves more positively when presented with the laptop. For the 'good students' the laptop was not necessary to complete the assignment but if it was something we had every day, how much easier to do this kind of thing. They would have their work on their own computer and the logistics of it all would be more simple.
Tomorrow I am sending them to a constitution website with a worksheet for fill in the blanks. It is fairly dry - written for 8-12 grade but the site has a section for 4-7 grade too and I have included that for struggling readers. That is useful. Our textbook is not differentiated.
I will see how that goes.
I was providing special education inclusion support in a seventh grade science class doing a webquest. I work with five students in the class with various language based disabilities.
Working with the laptops was a great learning experience. Some of my students are challenged by copying and reading large pieces of text. With the laptops, they could work at their own pace - the rest of the class did not have to know what they were working on or how long it would take. They felt like everyone else in the class and it gave them a great feeling of independence. They could work on their own but also ask for help and it had the feel of real conferencing because they always had something to show the teachers - they had always started the task somehow.
It was still a bit cumbersome trying to managing the documents online and in hard copy form. Not being able to print from the laptops is a huge challenge. The students could log on in Learning Center and print out but it adds a whole other step and there's only two computers for eleven students. I couldn't help think how fantastic it would be for everyone to have their laptops all the time. I think most students had a high comfort level with the laptops and I was pleasantly surprised with how much they stayed on task.
Eileen Walsh
Deb,
While I don't have a classroom to test out a laptop cart, I do use my lap top extensively at school, at home, and for presentations. As an educator, I find having access to one allows for me to be immediate, intentional, and in the momemt with tasks.
Here's an example:
A week ago at a EMI Instructors meeting the Youtube video " Did you know" was shown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqfunyCeU5g&feature=related
This video resonated with me as I reflected on the state of technology integration in education in general, and in Pollard specifically.
Later that day I also had the pleasure of hearing a presentation by Chris Dede, Harvard professor on technology and education. I had my laptop and was in a wireless environment which allowed to take notes at the presentation and to book sites that he mentioned in his presentation.Edtags being one of them. Take a look.
http://www.Edtags.org
With my mental engine running I proceeded to the " Big Easy" to do a presentation laptop in tow. Did you know not all airports have " FREE" wireless ? I often send my self materials that I use and might want to use to my gmail account which I can access anywhere..which I did in the Charlotte Airport. Since I had a longer than needed layover I was able to do work.
When I arrived in New Orleans, I discovered that the entire convention center was wireless ! Consequently there were more laptops present than previous conventions. I can't say that people knew it was wireless therefore they brought their laptop or it was habit to carry one. I saw a great deal more women with them, but still, very few people of color with laptops.
Here's the in the moment part, lol
As I was setting up for my presentation it occured to me that I could not do justice to my presentation unless I incorporated what I'd learned from Chris Dede and the Youtube video. In a matter of minutes, I edited my PowerPoint presentation to include comments from Chris Dede ( which I had on my lap top ) and created an active link to " Did You know" that I showed during my presentation.
There were 90 people in my session..only two had ever seen or heard of the Did You Know.
For me, that was a defining moment in the use of technology, laptop, information dissimenation.Having the ability to make a difference... I think that's what teachers need and want from technology in the classroom; the ability to be immediate and in the moment.
Imagine if you were able to send your students to a website in class on their laptops at the drop of a hat? Sometimes the best teaching is in the moment..and the ability to tap into that moment is greatly enhanced with access: laptops in the classroom and in the teachers hands.
paula
Hi Deb,
I have been using laptop carts since last year. This year, we started with them in the classroom.
We rehearsed using them as a class. This took time. We set up rules or use. We spent time learning the ins and outs of using the laptops. It added time to the unit, BUT it was critical. When we used this past month, the kids knew exactly what to do.
What has it done? Revision is an ongoing process. They are reading each others writing. They are engaged in the process. They make suggestions...great for peer revision and editing. They feel free to make changes. Final drafts become incredible.
For Special Needs children, it level the playing field. It is not like alpha smarts, the kids interact with their writing in a fuller way. It helps them so much to see their piece rather than a small screen that shows a small picture.
If I had them more? I would want to start a readers response blog...very cool.
The kids have flash drives which really helps...It lets the kids take their work home.
Issues? I am fairly strict about what the kids can use. No Youtube. No screen changing. No food or drink...or as I have said, you only have 45 minutes so make it work.
Because we do all our work in class and none of it goes home, the kids do respect this.
Finally, the laptops have changed the way I think about technology and teaching. When I have them, I can broaden my ideas and brings in new things.
So, can I have more??? Please.
Laurie
I used the laptops with my grade 8 students to do research on francophone countries in Africa.
I first had them sit quietly and remove binders, books, etc from their desks. After distributing the laptops, I showed them good/bad ways to find info on the Internet. I wanted to test the "close your laptop and eyes front" strategy.
I found that by working in class, they stayed on task and actually got better info than from last year when they did the research at home (no excuses).
I learned that, given the students the trust in doing the right thing, they stayed on task. They also went beyond the normal search and looked up multi-media info (video clips, etc) which made their research richer. They also shared what they found during the research with other students.
Deb,
I've used the laptops during writers workshop to type, revise, and print drafts and for two group research projects on the web. I researched appropriate sites and created a webquest for my current unit on homelessness. It's a great way to introduce students to important themes in class novels. Students are focused and on task when the laptop cart is in the room because they see instant results.
We introduced Neoffice slide show software, used Appleworks, and Microsoft Word for writers workshop, and Safari and Firefox for research. At times, it was difficult for students to get onto the network with their passwords or to open their documents.
Despite these ocassional setbacks, having whole-class access to laptops has been a great benefit this year.
Marcia
I have used the laptops twice. The experience was great. The only thing that I found to be a problem was if the previous user didn't return the cart with it plugged in. I also didn't have the students log in as themselves because it usually wouldn't let them. The logging in process took a very long time (they needed to log in as guest then log out and then log in as themselves - this didn't even work every time.)
The students loved them, a few had a hard time adapting to not having a mouse.
The second time I used them I spent less time reviewing expectations because I had already covered it the first time. I feel it is important to spend extra time at the start and then you just do a quick review the subsequent times.
The students loved using the laptop computers, and requested to use them for other assignments.
What I Tried:
Last year my students did an extinction project the "old fashioned" way. They received the information in class on a handout with a rubric, and then they went to the Media Center to do their research. Their end product consisted of a brochure and a 3-D model of an extinct animal and its ecosystem. During Tech Camp this summer I converted the project to a WebQuest. All of the forms that students needed to fill in were included in the webquest. Students used the laptops in class for three days to research their topics. Infomration was typed up on forms in the webquest and submitted by using a hand in folder. Brochures could also be created by using templates on line. Models were still created the old fashioned way.
Here's How it Went:
I found that the students were very focused using the laptops and stayed on task.Three days flew by and the students still wanted more time for research. Students worked in groups of four researching one animal. Each member of the group had a specific role-habitat advisor, naturalist, adaptation advisor, or extinction expert. Each member had different questions to research so having individual laptops enabled each student to be responsible for their own information. I noticed that group members would share information and let other students know where they might find some of their answers on different web sites. Students also were instructed how to use NoodleBib and create bibliographies to attach to their research questions.
What I Learned:
I thought that a WebQuest would streamline the requirements of the project and give all the essential information-research questions, websites, and rubric. What I found was that the students did not read all the information that was included. They still expected the teacher to constantly remind them what they needed to do. The laptops were great for research, but if I hadn't had Gayle and Michelle in my room troubleshooting, I would have been lost. Perhaps the more I use the laptops, the more comfortable I will become with the technology. Many students had a difficult time attaching their bibliographies to their research questions and turning them in in the hand in folder. It took over a week to accomplish this, and I still had 10-15 students who finally passed in a hard copy because their computer programs were not compatible with mine here at school. Overall, I feel that the laptops are an excellent tool for research and writing. I will really need to rethink my project for next year so that I won't have as many problems with the "completion" aspect. Any suggestions?
I have now used the laptops several times. Always in Inner Space. As time has gone on, I have found the students have adapted to this and we manage the whole process more efficiently. Problem students remain problem students but I am convinced that many of the struggling students do focus better with the laptops, so long as they have the computer skills. Using the laptops over time has helped to level the field in terms of skills.
I would like to see some kind of school wide policy for consequences for the students who break the acceptable use policy. Maybe something that does not take away the 'privilege' of the laptops -- if they are used regularly they cease to be a 'privilege' but are a classroom tool.
So - that leaves me wishing I had been able to use them more frequently - on a regular basis even. I can see how I could ask all students to bring a flash drive - that would save the whole emailing work home thing. Our whole research paper project in 8th grade would have been taken to another level of experience with regular access to the same computer each day we have learned new skills and written parts of drafts. I think it would also make the point to students that they are preparing to go into the world of college and work.
I agree with Jen that the need to give mega clear expectations and directions is heightened. I could imagine doing role plays in training sessions where you figure out how not to do seat students, how not to muddy the waters and then see some examples of seating and lesson plans that take all the aspects of classroom management and curriculum into account.
I have loved using these laptops - the tech glitches and behavior issues in no way diminish the value they have had as an instrument for learning and practicing writing and research skills.
Lois.
Two years ago I used laptops for a Grade 6 Orientation Web Quest. While the students were excited about using the technology, it soon became obvious that my expectations for this lesson would not be entirely realized. It became clearer with each class that many students had no prior experience with laptops. So I ended up taking precious lesson time to teach the fundamentals of laptop use. I made the mistake of thinking everyone knew how to use … a laptop.
Lesson learned: As others have commented via this blog, it is crucial to make time at the beginning (of class, school year, etc.) to establish procedures for using the laptops (Gayle's guidelines weren't available 2 years ago). Students (and teachers) need to know (and be reminded) how our network is set up: how/where to save, etc. They would also benefit by knowing basic trouble-shooting techniques.
Until we move to 1:1, I'd love to see every student use their own flash drive to manage files. This would promote individual responsibility as well as save the time it takes to email files back and forth between school and home.
Speaking as an information specialist I'd like to advocate for the inclusion of information fluency skills in conjunction with increased access to technology. Having access to technology (with laptops, in this case) is just putting the tool into their hands. As important as that is, teaching these digital natives how to get the most from that tool is the key to their success. For instance, it's not enough to assign a research task and assume students will access the best sources of information on their own. Based upon my observations, unless students are directed to specific web sites, databases, multi-media sources, and books (they still need to maintain those skills!), they will simply "google" a topic and waste a lot of time looking for information. Are they spending more time looking for or finding information? Will it be age-appropriate, accurate, bias-free? (We wouldn't ask our kids to find their own print sources without the assistance of a professional, be it teacher, librarian, editor, etc. Why do we expect them to independently search the Internet without guidance?)
Navigation/evaluation/access skills are crucial to our students' success in the 21st century, as are the skills necessary to manage the technology at hand. Since the way information is delivered will continue to change as technology improves, it is in our students' best interest to be information-fluent. I think we need to include that goal in our effort to increase access to technology.
Hi Deb
I use the science laptop cart more than any other teacher. That is because it is housed in my prep room and I have immediate access to the cart. It only has 15 computers but it works great for pairs. The laptops are a bit older and do not move that fast online, but for simple research and activities, they work great.
I recently had them work on an interactive map online to study plate tectonics. That was a bust. They needed to download a huge map that they would need to manipulate. It ended up taking too long and I had to revise the lesson.
I also used them to study different elements on the periodic table, that worked great and the students were fully engaged. I had very few students doing things that they shouldn't. One thing I would like to learn is how to fix all the tricks the kids put on the computer. Like black out screen and talking keyboards... I guess I am not keeping up with the times.
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