One School of Thought

The natives are still restless about the plan to provide mini-laptops to all Year 9-12 public school students.

Would seem there is now a search for reasons why laptops, or perhaps mini-laptops should not be provided to students. These are some of today’s comments:

One school principal has publicly “slammed” the proposal (as reported)

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24744301-15306,00.html

And more from the School IT Managers:

“Student’s may love them, but I wonder if it is ergonomically advisable for us to recommend to students that they use these screens for many hours a day – (if they don’t use them for many hours during the school day what was the point?)”

“The real concern is the poor ergonomics of laptops, and this would be worse with mini ones. Your arms end up stretched uncomfortably to type and your head/neck is pointed downwards instead of relatively straight ahead like it is naturally and with a properly located monitor.”

“I have had a very few Stage 3 kids say they just can’t finish (something) because their arm hurts – which is usually traceable to posture.”

“Unfortunately, most of the research looks at the usage from a commercial standpoint in that it assumes users will be in the same position for long periods of time. Laptops are badly designed if they are to be used that way, but they aren’t (at least in this school they’re not)
Our kids use computers for approximately 10-15 minutes per period on average (survey taken last year) so they are constantly looking around etc. They are also constantly moving!”

“Also… apparently not everyone in New York (the school system run by Joe Klein, who is so highly praised by the Deputy Prime Minister) is enthusiastic about laptops.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/education/04laptop.html 

“We should, as leaders, stymie this silliness propagated by the press, even esteemed rags such as the NYT”

I’d have to say that there has been a distinct head-in-the sand attitude to educational technology over the last 10 years. Some schools, mostly the private, independents, realised the need to change and did not wait for government hand-outs.

Very few administrators seem to have a handle on 21st century learning and all that embodies …….. the status quo is too attractive. So they have waited, and waited and left ICT out of their budgets, year after year. There has been little, if any preparatory PD; little if any infrastructure readiness, and little, if any, consideration of the need to even think about school improvement plans.

Congratulations to those Australian schools who have bitten the bullet and begun the change process, as hard as it is. At least we don’t have to bother too much about this poorly conceived plan. Let’s just keep our own balls rolling.