ITC Laptop/Netbook Carts - a different type of 1 to 1 program
This week ITC student worker staff have updated the laptop/netbook carts with the latest software updates and antivirus software so that the laptops/netbooks remain in good working order. With the start of a new semester the laptop carts have been idle for approximately one month over the semester break and were in need of the latest updates and patches. The good news is that they are updated, fully-charged, and ready to go for another semester of use.At the ITC we have been using laptop carts since 2001 with excellent results. The carts have proven to be a very effective and reliable model that gets technology into the hands of our students for classroom use and is economically feasible for most schools. While it would be great for every student in America to have a 1 to 1 computing device the economic reality is that many parents and students cannot afford such mandated models. That is where a laptop cart model can fulfill classroom accessibility needs; any classroom in our building can become an instant computer lab.
The biggest drawback to the cart model is that the computers stay in the cart at school rather than the students being able to take the computers home for home use. Someday, I hope sooner rather than later, we will see a sub-$100 one laptop-like device per child come along so that all students will have affordable home access.
Having such ubiquitous classroom access does change the dynamics of the classroom as faculty use different pedagogies that allow for more engaged lessons as students utilize Internet resources during class time. The main ITC Computer Lab is always busy and it is difficult to schedule for classes so taking the computers to the students in classrooms turns the old computer lab model upside down.
The laptop carts guarantee that every student in the class will have a laptop/netbook to use during the class period. This model has proven very effective for us as the ITC checked out over 9000 laptops last year for student use. You can see by the numbers that this checkout service is heavily utilized. This would not be possible without our ITC student workers who manage the checkouts and delivery of the carts to the classrooms.
We also have specialized software loaded that is not always available for free for students to install on their own personal laptops. The ITC computer carts provide access for students to use specialized software with no additional cost to them. Providing a Laptop Cart for student use with standardized hardware and software eliminates this complexity without mandating a student specific purchase.
College of Education & Professional Studies faculty may checkout the laptops for classroom use by scheduling the laptop/nettbook carts through the Instructional Technology Center. Have a great semester!
Keep on Learning,
Tom Grissom, Ph.D.