{"id":3081,"date":"2013-05-26T03:05:45","date_gmt":"2013-05-26T08:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3081"},"modified":"2020-07-25T18:58:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T23:58:31","slug":"3081","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3081","title":{"rendered":"Laptops and Learning (1998)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laptops and Learning<\/h1>\n

\nCan laptop computers put the “C” (for constructionism) in Learning?
\n<\/span>Published in the October 1998 issue of Curriculum Administrato<\/a>r<\/a><\/em><\/h4>\n

\u00a9 1998 – Gary S. Stager<\/h4>\n
\n

\u201c…Only inertia and prejudice, not economics or lack of good educational ideas stand in the way of providing every child in the world with the kinds of experience of which we have tried to give you some glimpses. If every child were to be given access to a computer, computers would be cheap enough for every child to be given access to a computer.\u201d – <\/strong>Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon (1971)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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In 1989, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC) in Melbourne, Australia embarked on a still unparalleled learning adventure. Eighteen years after Solomon and Papert\u2019s prediction this school made a commitment to personal computing and constructionism. The unifying principle was that every child in the school (from grades 5-12) would own a personal laptop computer on which they could work at school, at home, and across the curriculum with a belief that their ideas and work were being stored and manipulated on their own personal computer. Ownership of the laptop computer would reinforce ownership of the knowledge constructed with it. The personal computer is a vehicle for building something tangible outside of your head – one of the tenets of constructionism. By 1994, 2,000 MLC teachers and students had a personal laptop computer. This school, like most serious workplaces now has a computer ration of more than one computer per worker (teacher & student). Today, approximately 50,000 Australian school children have their own laptop. More and more American schools are embracing laptops as well.<\/p>\n

Personal Computing – Personal Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Until recently, the notion of the PC and personal computing has escaped schools. Computer labs, special furniture and computer literacy curricula have been designed to make efficient use of scarce public resources. The potential benefits of using a word processor to write, edit and publish are rarely realized when access to the computer is limited and artificially scheduled. Laptops provide a personal space for creating, exploring, and collecting one\u2019s own ideas, work, and knowledge in a more fluid manner. Pioneering schools like MLC adopted laptops for the following reasons:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The laptop is flexible, portable, personal and powerful
\n<\/strong>Students and teachers may use the computer whenever and wherever they need to. The laptop is a personal laboratory for intellectual exploration and creative expression. Learning extends beyond the walls and hours of the school.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The laptop helps to professionalize teachers
\nTeachers equipped with professional tools view themselves more professionally. Computers are much more likely to be integrated into classroom practice when every student has one.<\/p>\n

Provocative models of learning will emerge<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Teachers need to be reacquainted with the art of learning before they are able to create rich supportive learning environments for their students. The computer allows different ways of thinking, knowing and expressing ones own ideas to emerge. The continuous collection of learning stories serves as a catalyst for rethinking the nature of teaching and learning.<\/p>\n

Gets schools out of the computer business<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Laptops are a cost-effective alternative to building computer labs, buying special furniture and installing costly wiring. Students keep laptops for an average of three years, a turnover rate rarely achieved by schools. Built-in modems provide students with net access outside of school. The school can focus resources on projection devices, high-quality peripherals and professional development.<\/p>\n

Since my work with the world\u2019s first two \u201claptop schools\u201d in 1990, I\u2019ve helped dozens of similar schools (public and private) around the world make sense of teaching and learning in environments with ubiquitous computing. My own experience and research by others has observed the following outcomes for students and teachers.<\/p>\n

Learner Outcomes<\/h3>\n