Two well expressed views on measuring the success of laptop programs in a sixth grade population: School computer gap grows
Pro Computer Voices:
"...officials from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools were convinced of the value of technology after enrolling in a program six years ago that allowed the district to lease laptop computers, for $50 apiece, for each of its sixth-grade students.A team of researchers from Wayne State University and the University of Memphis studied the students for three years, and found the laptops significantly helped learning.
Students scored higher on writing and problem-solving tests, were more engaged in learning, better organized and behaved better in the classroom.
"The laptop kids, on average, would end up with three to five arguments and wrote their answers in the form of a persuasive essay," says Bill Hamilton, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Walled Lake. "Teachers found that for many students it was the first time they had produced something that looked good, and because they could do this rather easily, they started wanting it to be good."
Students with poor handwriting were finally able to clearly see what they wrote. And in math, they could focus on learning the concepts rather than laboriously drawing graphs.
The results of the Walled Lake study have been mirrored by the Freedom to Learn program, with students showing gains on standardized tests."
Why spend Money on Computers?...an atlternative view
"Why do we need to spend money on laptops when we could be spending money on teachers and textbooks? We don't need laptops," says Jane Healy, a Vail, Colo.-based educational psychologist and author. "Much of what passes for computer education is a waste of valuable brain time."Detroit father Glenn Hodges wants his daughters to acquire the high-tech skills, but he also has a pragmatic bottom line.
"If you can't read," Hodges says, "a computer isn't going to do you any good."
As for me, I agree with both sides. Appropriate use of computers can be a good thing...without adequately trained teachers to integrate computers into the learning experience, computers can turn into nothing more than babysitters.