Classrooms + Students + Laptops = Success

It is a growing trend in Iowa schools to try and get grants that allow students to each get a laptop at the beginning of the year to help aid them in their education.  But the question arises, is this really necessary?

Many of those from my generation remember having to go to the computer lab or school library if a teacher wanted to share anything they had found on the internet and that seemed to work just fine for us.  And those older than I remember writing their papers on typewriters, in which many children in the school system today would have no idea what you are talking about.  So why the sudden need to add these technologies such as a laptop per student?

One of those reasons come from the fact that technology is now everywhere you go and is growing so rapidly, that by the time my grandchildren come around they will laugh that I had to drive on the street instead of in a flying car.  The children being born today will not know how to do anything without some form of technology, and so it makes sense to add these technologies to the classrooms and get the students familiar with what will someday be a very large part of their career.  Another factor that plays a role is the new Iowa Core Curriculum, which will be fully implemented in grades 9-12 in 2012 and grades K-8 in the 2014-2015 school year, which - along with your basics such as Math, Science, Social Studies, & Language Arts - will include 21st Century Skills including Technology Literacy.  Yep, that's right; Iowa will soon have benchmarks for each grade level to ensure technology is just as familiar as reading, writing, and arithmetic!

One Iowa school that has been providing laptops for students for a few years now and seems to be a little bit ahead of the bandwagon is United Community School District, which is located on Highway 30 between Boone and Ames, and offers education from Prek-6 grades.  Their mission for technology is clearly stated, "Our mission is to develop an innovative, inclusive plan for the continued use of the latest technology in all learning environments and to incorporate technology into the educational program."  The laptops seem to be working out really well for their students, providing them with a means to research, explore, and test; as well as teaching them how to operate programs such as PowerPoint.  Furthermore, it provides access to the internet to students whose families may not be able to afford it in this economy and opens a whole new world to children everywhere.  I mean, who wouldn't love learning about another country and then being able to Skype with a class that lives there?!

Other schools are quickly joining in the race to keep up with technology, and it doesn't stop at laptops.  Some schools are incorporating cell phones, i-pads, and other electronic devices to enhance our children's education.  And although technology can never be 100% all of the time, it sounds like success for kids who will know nothing more.

You may also be interested in reading about this Eastern Iowa School - http://thegazette.com/2011/01/19/eastern-iowa-schools-embrace-initiatives-to-provide-laptop-for-every-student/