Re: Laptop requirement?

[John Barrer <forcejb@YAHOO.COM>]

    I was fortunate to have taught in a private school
in Texas with 9 desktop computers in the physics lab.
We purchased software called NetSchool which allows
the instructor to lock the keyboards of all machines
but still display what's on his screen. This is great
for quick run-throughs. The software also lets you
"snoop" over all the shoulders from one location. It
also allows displaying one student screen on all the
others. This was a VERY nice tool and pretty cheap at
about $30 per machine.
    Another serious potential drawback to wireless
laptops is that it would be very easy for one or two
groups to beam their data to others. That puts the
instructor in the baby-sitting mode which, as Michael
says, is not good. I'd opt for desktop machines. Of
course, here in the public high school environment,
abaci would be a help! John Barrere
--- Michael Edmiston <edmiston@BLUFFTON.EDU> wrote:
> My first experience with laptops in the classroom
> has not been positive.
> This is the first year we are using a new classroom
> building with "wired
> rooms."  Every seat has power and a network plug.
>
> I am participating in a pilot project in which each
> student has been loaned
> a laptop, and they keep this laptop for their
> exclusive use all year.  My
> particular section has 8 students.  I have one
> junior and seven seniors.
> Once a week we meet with other sections, so this
> involves about 32 students,
> each with a laptop, in one room with everybody
> connected to the Internet.
>
> The problem?  I can't keep the students from playing
> games or surfing the
> Internet during class.  If I have a specific
> computer activity for them to
> do, most will do it, but some will keep playing
> their games or pursuing
> their surfing and occasionally look at their
> neighbor's screen (who is
> hopefully doing the assigned task.)  However, if
> there isn't an assigned
> computer task for the moment, i.e. I am spending a
> few minutes lecturing, or
> I am trying to engage in a discussion, I almost
> immediately lose the whole
> class.
>
> These students were not chosen at random.  They are
> "good" students.  Yet
> they cannot resist the many different types of
> temptations that lure them
> away from the class topic.  A clear sign you have
> lost someone is when they
> are wearing headphones plugged into their laptop.
> But I even have had
> students forget their headphones so they play the
> game through their laptop
> speaker and disrupt the whole class.  Sometimes
> students will win their
> game, or whatever, and shout out loud, "Yeh, take
> that!" etc.  They don't
> even apologize when they do this.  It's
> unbelievable.
>
> I finally had to tell them... "When we are actually
> doing something with the
> computers you may have your screen flipped up.
> Otherwise your laptop screen
> has to be closed.  You don't abide by this and we
> take the laptop back."
>
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
> Phone/voice-mail:       419-358-3270
> Professor of Chemistry & Physics        FAX:
>            419-358-3323
> Chairman, Science Department            E-Mail
>            edmiston@bluffton.edu
> Bluffton College
> 280 West College Avenue
> Bluffton, OH 45817


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