1:1 computing options

Published by in 1:1, open source on June 20th, 2006

Jim Hirsch is the director of technology for Plano ISD in Texas. I started going to Jim’s TCEA presentations in the mid to late 1990s, when he was really into using HyperStudio (and so was I!) He has great ideas and has always been on top of trends as well as effective ways to engage digital kids in the classroom.

Jim’s presentation from TCEA 2006, “Computing@Every Student: A Look at Personal Computing Options,” is available as a PDF file. He presented info about digital students and changes in technology, but then reviewed several of the 1:1 alternatives to laptops that are worth checking out. These include:

Jim’s slides include a discussion of screen size tradeoffs as well. I would love to hear a podcast of Jim’s preso on this– it is great to see the slides, but I would also like to hear his discussion. If anyone knows if a podcast of this is available, please let me know by commenting here.

While going through these slides I also came across PISD’s hotlist of open technology resources. It is also excellent and worth checking out.

Clearly many different options have been available for some time when it comes to 1:1 computing. Elliot Solloway is among the most vocal advocates for handheld Palm computers, because of the price point. Cell phones now have more computing power than the computers used to take human beings to the moon and back– the pace of change, the power of the devices, and the lowering pricepoints continues to amaze. But the key question remains the same: WHAT ARE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DOING WITH THESE DEVICES? My sense is that in most contexts, traditional education continues as it has for decades. We do not need a shift to a 1:1 computing environment in which “traditional, transmission-based education” remains the model and the norm. What we need is an educational revolution, in which technology serves as an agent of change and engagement that “salts the hay” for learners of all ages to engage in conversation, messy assessment, and traditional assessment activities. Authentic learning is the goal, through activities, assignments, tasks, interactions and asssessments that “cannot be faked.”

Which mobile device will be best for students? My answer would be, the one that is the most powerful and empowering for communication and collaboration. Does that mean that school districts are going to eagerly embrace these devices, or open up their networks to permit the sort of digital social networking that students both want and need to learn how to do more effectively and safely? Probably not.

It all hinges on the people factor. What are teachers going to do, and what instructional strategies are they going to utilize in the classroom? The kids are ready. And the devices are getting more powerful and cheaper every day. The question is, what are we (as educators) going to do with these devices? It’s an open question, just as the future before us remains open for us to define and redefine together.

On this day..

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