Should Schools Supply Computers to all Students?

There are definitely some benefits to schools supplying students with their own computers.  For example, it gives all students equal access to technological resources. Crazy is it may seem, there are still students without computer or at least internet access at home which puts them at a disadvantage. If the school provides everyone with a computer, this gap is closed.

There are, however, some issues that should be considered before providing every student with a computer. First of all, are these computers only to be used only in the classroom or are students allowed to take them home? This is a big deal, especially when dealing with younger or irresponsible students because of the amount of money invested in the computers. This leads to another issue; what happens if a student breaks or loses his or her laptop? Is the student responsible for replacing it or will the school take care of it? Schools providing students with computers is a good idea in theory but there are many logistical issues that need to be considered other than just how to pay for them.

K12 Online Conference 2010

I recently listened to "The Life Practice Model: a real life example" on the 2010 K12 Online Conference. I found this particular presentation very interesting because it was made by a high school freshman named Colby Ratzlaff. In this session, Colby gives a first person account of a former student of Turning Point Learning Center which is a public charter in Emporia, Kansas. At Turning Point Learning Center, students are taught through the use of technology (each student is given a laptop for the year) and by being put in real life situations. For example, Colby says that one year the school received a grant for new furniture so the teachers divided the students into teams that were to come up with reasonable ways to spend the money and design their learning environment. The young presenter said he loved this project because it gave him the opportunity to design in three dimensions using Google Sketchup, free modeling software offered by Google. Other members of Colby's group were responsible for keeping track of funds, interior design, and documenting information. Some other projects he mentioned were a model cell that filled a room, a model skeleton, and a garden.

I found this presentation very interesting because Turning Point Learning Center actually puts many of the methods educators know to be effective into practice. The idea of learning through experience is far from new but few educators are able use it effectively because the often high number of students, time constraints, or other factors. One issue I have with Turning Point's method is the computer usage. I would like to know how they keep students on task and away from all the distractions that come with computers.

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