“Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops” – New York Times – May 4th, 2007

“After seven years, there was literally no evidence it had any impact on student achievement — none,” said Mark Lawson, the school board president here in Liverpool, one of the first districts in New York State to experiment with putting technology directly into students’ hands. “The teachers were telling us when there’s a one-to-one relationship between the student and the laptop, the box gets in the way. It’s a distraction to the educational process.”

When I read statements like this it saddens me and maddens me at the same time.

It saddens me to watch thousands of hard earned tax dollars be wasted because of poor implementation and support. You don’t read about businesses considering abandoning their lap top programs due to employee computer distractions or losses in productivity. How are schools to remain relevant to today’s students if they cannot structure and provide an environment that can enable them to succeed?

In one to one lap top classrooms everything looks different.
Classroom management looks different.

Supervision looks different.

Assessment looks different.

Collaboration looks different.

Teaching looks different.

Scaffolding looks different.

Lesson plans look different.

Learning looks different.

Teaching looks different.

TEACHING LOOKS DIFFERENT!!!

After reading this article, my first questions were:

How much PD was done on: “Teaching in a one to one program”, “Classroom management in a one to one program”, “Student user policies in a one to one program” , “How to monitor and track teacher AND student learning in a one to one program”.

You won’t find books on these subjects (idea??) but if you leverage the experience of all of us who are working and teaching in these environments and having success with them you will find a wealth of knowledge, just waiting to be tapped. Reach out and mobilize your resources! Is that not one of the new skills of the 21st century?

I have seen and have been a part of programs that work. There are so many examples out there where one to one programs succeed in engaging our 21st century learners while still ensuring they they are learing. But it takes an investment in PEOPLE and not technology to make these programs successful. Small steps, instructional shifts, changes in thinking, changes in practices and changes in TEACHING.

Changes in Teaching,……………..