This article from Electronic School called, “Laptop Lessons,” is a lighthearted account over the span of one year of how a ninth grade English teacher integrated laptop computers into his English class. Stephen Valentine describes his class as “controlled chaos” with everyone working on various parts of a class newsletter. Despite some drawbacks and frustrating technical problems, the students’ spirits aren’t dampened with the use of the laptops and they are highly involved with the project. The author also describes his experiences with online chat experience, discussing with several students on a Monday evening during “Boston Public” some aspect of Lord of the Flies. Valentine reflected that some students could develop their voice in writing in these chat rooms and contribute a great to online discussions, yet be reluctant to raise their hand in class. He pointed out that the chat rooms did away with the invisible hierarchies of the traditional classrooms and the teacher was seen as another contributor to the discussion, an equal of sorts. The author describes in humorous detail the frustrations in dealing with the ‘shadowy’ tech department. (I find it amusing because I now am a member of the tech department in my county.) He concludes by saying that despite all of the stress and problems with the laptops, “schools must be the first testing ground for new technologies.” The students now have surpassed their instructors in their technological acumen. “Let the kids be the visionaries for a change. Listen to them. They live in a world that we adults are just beginning to imagine.” It’s a world where ‘technology has set fire to education’.
I enjoyed reading this article, because I can empathize with the author’s
experiences on many levels. I think I enjoyed learning how to use the computers
as much as my students, it was hard staying one step ahead of them, and
many times I didn’t! As a former fifth grade teacher who attempted to use
technology in every subject I taught, I saw the way using computers motivated
students to do better in class. The pride they felt when they printed
out an original piece of writing complete with a colorful graphic was really
great to see. I guess my students fared a bit better with me as a teacher
when things went wrong because I was also the ‘TOPs” (technical operations
person) in my building, which meant I had to attempt to figure out how
to solve a problem BEFORE I called IT. We really learned so much together
in the early days of technology. I now am an Instructional Technology
Facilitator, or ITF, which means I no longer have a classroom, but I’m
responsible for helping other teachers integrate technology into the curriculum,
and I also troubleshoot and do staff development. As an ITF who is responsible
for 7 elementary schools, I see every day how students respond to technology
and how much they are motivated to do well. Last year, one responsibility
I had was to oversee an Action Research project, which somehow would collect
‘data’ to show the impact that technology plays on student achievement.
All the data in the world cannot impress me as much as seeing an otherwise
poor student come alive in front of the computer and produce a great Hyperstudio
project. I have 2 children in college, so they have taught me how to use
IM, and my personal favorite, Yahoo Messenger (if you haven’t tried Yahoo,
you really must – there are games and fun stuff you can do with your buddies
while you chat!). There is a definite ‘language of the chat rooms’ to learn,
but I think it encourages everyone to participate. I can see possibilities
in education from a homework standpoint, much as the author described in
the article. And of course the way this class is taking advantage of the
online chat for ‘office hours’ seems to be effective so far. I also think
that schools, perhaps more to the point, TEACHERS, need to relax about
technology and start to find the resources for using it effectively with
their students. I know there are so many things teachers are responsible
for, I surely sympathize with the demands on their time and energy.
I was a classroom teacher myself, but the author’s point is well taken,
technology ‘sets fire to education’. If the kids are so excited about
using it, it improves their motivation, they work harder to produce work
they can be proud of, and this is their future, how can teachers NOT make
technology a priority for their students?
Valentine, Stephen J. (2002) Laptop Lessons [Electronic Version]
Electronic School 1