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View other articles by the author at: UEF21 The Student Laptop Computer in Classrooms: Not Just a Tool Prakash Nair, RA, REFP More than a Pencil If you ask the question, how can computers enhance student learning, you will often hear the answer, "The computer is just a tool like a pencil." The idea is that you don't learn "computers" but you "use" computers to learn something else the way you use any other tool. Following this line of reasoning many schools have moved away from teaching computers as a specialty in computer labs and introduced them into classrooms for everyday activities. The birth of the national laptop program had its roots in this concept. In my various presentations around the country on the subject of laptop learning, I too have been guilty of using the word "tool" to describe the computer in a student's hands. That view changed after talking to an experienced teacher in a laptop classroom, who was offended by comparisons of laptops to traditional classroom tools. She told me that comparing a computer to a pencil implies that these are both passive tools waiting to be manipulated by their users. According to her, "The roles of both teacher and student are changed by the introduction of laptops into the classroom because laptops empower children in ways no other 'tool' has been able to. Such student empowerment is a fundamentally new way to organize the classroom. This is very different from the changes you might expect by giving children pencils or other traditional classroom tools like rulers, protractors or even calculators. Even though I don't object to the word 'tool' to describe a laptop, I firmly believe it is more than any other educational tool." Digital Teaching Assistants Stretching my teachercolleague's reasoning a bit, I have started referring to computers in classrooms as "digital teaching assistants." This term may evoke concern because it bestows a certain "human" dimension to computers. The rap on technology today is that it is dehumanizing society by limiting social interaction. Do we now want to admit that computers have become our surrogate "friends?" Actually, my use of the term teaching assistant is simply a matter of convenience. It is derived from what the experts say, and from my own personal observation of the way children interact with computers. It is also an accurate description of what computers do for children within and outside the classroom. Let us look at the two terms: Tool Enables and/or enhances an activity. Beyond Tool Computer as Digital Teaching Assistant Serves as a sounding board for your ideas (interactive programs, chat

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En este artículo el autor reflexiona acerca del uso de las computadoras en el aula. Su propuesta es que no sean meras herramientas, sino que funcionen como asistentes del trabajo en el aula.

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  • Viewotherarticlesbytheauthorat:UEF21

    TheStudentLaptopComputerinClassrooms:NotJustaToolPrakashNair,RA,REFP

    MorethanaPencil

    Ifyouaskthequestion,howcancomputersenhancestudentlearning,youwilloftenheartheanswer,"Thecomputerisjustatoollikeapencil."Theideaisthatyoudon'tlearn"computers"butyou"use"computerstolearnsomethingelsethewayyouuseanyothertool.Followingthislineofreasoningmanyschoolshavemovedawayfromteachingcomputersasaspecialtyincomputerlabsandintroducedthemintoclassroomsforeverydayactivities.Thebirthofthenationallaptopprogramhaditsrootsinthisconcept.

    Inmyvariouspresentationsaroundthecountryonthesubjectoflaptoplearning,Itoohavebeenguiltyofusingtheword"tool"todescribethecomputerinastudent'shands.Thatviewchangedaftertalkingtoanexperiencedteacherinalaptopclassroom,whowasoffendedbycomparisonsoflaptopstotraditionalclassroomtools.Shetoldmethatcomparingacomputertoapencilimpliesthatthesearebothpassivetoolswaitingtobemanipulatedbytheirusers.Accordingtoher,"Therolesofbothteacherandstudentarechangedbytheintroductionoflaptopsintotheclassroombecauselaptopsempowerchildreninwaysnoother'tool'hasbeenableto.Suchstudentempowermentisafundamentallynewwaytoorganizetheclassroom.Thisisverydifferentfromthechangesyoumightexpectbygivingchildrenpencilsorothertraditionalclassroomtoolslikerulers,protractorsorevencalculators.EventhoughIdon'tobjecttotheword'tool'todescribealaptop,Ifirmlybelieveitismorethananyothereducationaltool."

    DigitalTeachingAssistants

    Stretchingmyteachercolleague'sreasoningabit,Ihavestartedreferringtocomputersinclassroomsas"digitalteachingassistants."Thistermmayevokeconcernbecauseitbestowsacertain"human"dimensiontocomputers.Therapontechnologytodayisthatitisdehumanizingsocietybylimitingsocialinteraction.Dowenowwanttoadmitthatcomputershavebecomeoursurrogate"friends?"

    Actually,myuseofthetermteachingassistantissimplyamatterofconvenience.Itisderivedfromwhattheexpertssay,andfrommyownpersonalobservationofthewaychildreninteractwithcomputers.Itisalsoanaccuratedescriptionofwhatcomputersdoforchildrenwithinandoutsidetheclassroom.Letuslookatthetwoterms:

    Tool

    Enablesand/orenhancesanactivity.

    BeyondToolComputerasDigitalTeachingAssistant

    Servesasasoundingboardforyourideas(interactiveprograms,chat

  • rooms,emailsandinstantmessaging)Challengesyourassumptions(expertadvice,researchdata)Expandsyourhorizonsbyexposingyoutonewconceptsandinformation(virtualtours,simulations,researchdata)Forcesyoutothinkcritically(examineandanalyzemultiplepointsofview,participateinonlinedebates)Motivatesyoutoparticipate(visualmedium,multimedia,interactiveprogramsthatcanworkatyourpacebutchallengeyoutogettothenextlevel)Helpsyoutoproduce(simplifiescomplexoperations,magnifiesyoureffortbyconvertingnumberstocharts,spellandgrammarchecking,automatingpresentations)Helpsyoutolearn(improvesretentionthroughengagement)Toroundoutthedefinitionofcomputerasteachingassistant,weneedtoaddanimportant,oftenoverlooked,feature:NonJudgmental

    Thislastfeatureofcomputersisimportantbecauseanonjudgmentalenvironmentiscriticalinbreakingdownindividuals'naturalresistancetochangeinprejudicesandattitudes.

    Merely,havingaccesstoalaptopcomputerdoesnotembodyitwithdigitalteachingassistantstatus.Torealizeitsfullbenefits,studentsmustbeworkingwithlaptopsinprojectbasednetworkedsettingswithfullInternetaccessunderthedirectionofableteachers.

    RedefiningtheTeacher'sRoleinaLaptopEnvironment

    Gettingalaptoptofunctionasagoodteachingassistantrequiresateachertobethecurriculumintegrationexperthowtoincorporatethetechnology,andknowingwhentouseitandwhennotto.Thatmeans,teachersmuststillexercisetrueleadershipintheclassroombyprovidinganoverallvisionforaccomplishmentandthenhelpingeachstudenttogetthere.Likestudents,teachersinatechnologyrichenvironmentarefreedfromtheisolationoftheirclassroomsastheycontinuetheirdialoguewithpeers,parentsandtheirstudentsafterclass.

    Second,itfreesuptheteachertoapply"wisdom"tolearningthatcomesfromlifeexperiencesomethingourdigitalteachingassistantslack.Also,nonjudgmentalisadoubleedgedswordallowing,forexample,propagandatomasqueradeasfactittakesateacher'swisdomtoshowstudentshowtosiftonefromtheother.

    Third,theteacherstillplaysanimportantroleindevelopingthesocialbehaviorofchildrenaskillthatmanycontendisthenumberonedeterminantforsuccessintheadultworld.

    Perhapsthemostimportantbenefitoflaptopcomputerasteachingassistantisthatitfreesuptheteachertospendmoretimewithparticularstudentsforhelpasneeded,whenneeded,withoutconcernthatlearningintherestoftheclasswillcometoanabrupthalt.

    FromMassProductiontoMassCustomization

  • America'spubliceducationsystemisbuiltaroundtheflawednotionthatchildrenlearnthesamethingsatthesamepaceatthesametime.Withamajorityofthenation'sschoolsalreadybuiltandheretostay,ourmassproductionmodelofeducationisunlikelytochangeanytimesoon.Howeverschoolsthatprovidedigitalteachingassistantstoeverystudent,properlyintegratedintothecurriculum,canserveaseducation'sanswertothe"masscustomization"trendthatissweepingacrossthemanufacturinglandscape.Surelyifweasasocietywouldlikeeverycarthatrollsoffanassemblylinetobeunique,whyshouldweexpectanythinglessfromthestudentswhograduatefromourschools?

    Writer'sBackgroundInformation

    PrakashNairisaninternationallyrecognizedexpertintheareasofinnovativeschoolfacilitiesandeducationaltechnology.HeistheDirectorofEducationalFacilitiesPlanningforVitettaandPresidentofUrbanEducationalFacilitiesforthe21stCentury.Beforethat,PrakashservedastheDirectorofOperationsforamultibilliondollarschoolconstructionprograminNewYorkCity.Hismanyarticlesondesigningschoolfacilitiesthatwillendurewellintothe21stcenturyhavebeeninternationallypublishedinprintandontheInternetandtheAustralianBroadcastingCorporationinterviewedhimrecentlyonthesubject.

    In2000,PrakashconductednumerousseminarsandworkshopsattheinvitationofprofessionalorganizationsandgovernmentsinfivecountriesonfourcontinentsincludingtheNetherlandsandAustralia.Prakashcanbereachedbyemailat

    PrakashNair,RA,REFPPresident,UEF21Director,EducationalFacilitiesPlanning,VITETTA8563212000ext.212NJOffice7184590342NYOffice8563212009Fax9174063120Cellemail:[email protected]

    DesignShare&PrakashNair2001|DesignShare|September2001


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