I am ready to add laptops to another grade. Anyone with me?
I would love to see computers at every grade level. We are currently looking into purchasing ipads or ipod touches for our school. If we had at leas 30 of them, then teachers would be able to check them out and use them for centers, research, math facts practice, and literacy. The possibilities are endless...
IPADS would be great! I hope we get enough funding next year so that we can get some. If we can not get laptops for other grades besides fifth grade quality traveling lab would be helpful.
Putting laptops in all classrooms / grade levels, K-5, would allow for more students to become computer literate. There are teachers at each grade level that would utilize laptops. Teachers want to use laptops, but the ones currently in the building have a low battery life making it difficult for lessons.
Our 5th graders just got their laptops this semester. I have to say that I've never seen the students so excited about anything connected to school. They were all smiles they day they got them. Our 5th grade teachers have jumped right in and are giving the students lots of opportunities to use technology in their learning. They were finally able to take the laptops home last week and they were on cloud nine. I have bus duty after school every day and those laptops have had a tremendous affect on afterschool behavior from our 5th graders. Fifth grade busriders are looking for comfortable, shady spots were they can use their laptops. I guess all this is evidence of the power of technology in capturing the interest of our students. I'm all for exploring adding other grades; however, we need some time to get our fifth grade students and teachers secure in their use. Let's add some grades soon!!!
I think adding laptops to all grade levels would be great, but we are in desperate need of professional development courses in technology integration with hands-on lessons that incorporate the use of them. I also have to add that I have seen less disruptive behavior in 5th grade because of the excitement and use of their laptops.
In reply to Norma Mahoney
Re: Elementary Schools--5th grade student behavior
I have never seen more motivation and focus from any group than I have from this year's 5th grade. What's even more fun is they think I know everything. Thank goodness what I really know is the IT dept's phone number! Marissa, Dolores, Chris, Alberto, Dave, Adam, Michael-I, and Ms Blanche RULE!
In reply to Annette Lynn Finkelstein
Re: Elementary Schools--5th grade student behavior
by Deleted user -
Lynn, you never cease to inspire me! I hope you don't mind if I quote you sometime.
I think adding computers to other grade levels would be great but I also feel that, as a district, we need to provide our teachers with professional development that will give them tools to help them guide the students within technology and the use of computers. I also feel that if technology and its use is such an important part of our district, then perhaps we need a technology curriculum that will guide teachers and students in the learning process, not just the kind of curriculum that the school LTF's provide.
I think that it would be great to add the laptops at other grade levels. If we were fortunate to to get them, we would need professional development in order to utilize them in the classroom correctily.
There is a curriculum that is being used, it is part of the Arizona State standards. However it is mainly on usage of the computer and we incorporate the usage into the core curriculum
Yes I would love to see laptops being placed in 4th as well as 5th next year. Bringing the laptops into the 5th grade this year has motivated other teachers to incorporate the 30 laptops within our mobile lab. The only problem has been finding creative ways to keep them charged for a 30-40 minute lesson. We have purchased numerous extensions cores for the mobile lab that has allowed the teachers to build laptop experiences into grade levels that typically didn't have this experience in the past.
I agree to add fourth grade to this opportunity. Right now, half of my fourth grade teachers include technology into their lesson delivery. However, not always do the portable laptops work or sometimes the teachers cannot get connected. Again, infrastructure needs to be addressed to make this initiative effective.
I think fourth grade is the next step, too. However, I would like to see the wireless better able to support the 5th grade laptops in their classrooms and in the LRC. Right now if there are more than 22 students trying to access the network through the wireless, they cannot get on which makes it difficult for me to work with larger classes. Also, it would help if we had a few more configured switch boxes that we could use for a direct network connection when students are unable to logon. When students cannot use their laptops, for one reason or another, they get frustrated and discouraged (and sometimes their teachers do too!)
I would love to see additional grades added to the 1-1. However, I feel the highest priority should be infrastructure and scheduled continuous PD. I know my fifth grade students are very excited to have the use of the laptop. Parents are very grateful that their children are getting this opportunity.
I would love to see laptops in 4th grade. As a teacher from a looping school I would like to continue with the technology I have built into my instruction and continue to grow with technology next year in 4th grade. Once the one-to-one program is properly implemented it would be very powerful for teachers and students in other grade levels to get on board.
As a 5th-grade teacher, I like the idea of bringing 4th-grade into the fun. I would love to see students enter my classroom at the beginning of the year and be ready to "hit the ground running" with 1 to 1. I enjoyed reading the feedback to this prompt, especially from those who have looped and know the grade-levels firsthand. As the "challenges" have been ironed out this year with our 5th-grade 1 to 1, I can only imagine that the path toward 4th-grade 1 to 1 would be even more efficient. Personally, I think 4th-grade 1 to 1 is logical, and then depending on the feedback, etc... consider 3rd-grade, etc... one grade level at a time. However, I do have questions about some of the younger grade levels. My first thought is that some sort of technology needs to be integrated into every grade level asap, but at this point I just can't imagine Kinder or 1st using 1 to 1.
Before we received our computers, infrastructure was my main concern... but for the most part, everything has run smoothly and easily. Very few glitches, which gives me plenty of room to feel optimistic that now that the system is rolling in 5th-grade, it will be even better and easier for others.
I think kinder technology might look a little different, but why not give them netbooks? If the Bond initiative goes through and the voters pass it, K-12 one-to-one will be a reality in just a short few years...What an exiting time we live in!
On a visit to the Vail School District I saw kinders using ipads - much more appropriate for their age level and these would also probably be more appropriate for several of our SpEd classrooms. I think we should keep our eyes open to other technologies and not get hung up on netbooks. A traveling lab with up to date equipment that is actually supported by our infrastructure is a great place to move next. I would be opposed to adding another grade for 1:1 if it means not exposing the rest of the kids to anything at all. This doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition, and there is value to taking the time to make the next phase a little less "buggy." I can't get more than 22 kids online in my library right now - let's solve our existing issues and be more ready for that next great leap!
It is only a matter of time before laptops are in the hands of all of our students. Teachers need to get "on board" with the wave of the future because the future is now. When I watch students from kinder - 4th utilize the computer lab, I realize we are already there.
I believe implementing some sort of technology into the k-4 realm is a terrific idea. However, perhaps the best idea presented was to purchase ipads or a variation of a handheld computing device. History shows us computing devices have decreased in size, are more portable and powerful. I think the ipad and several PDA phones such as the EVO and iPhone are great examples of this evolution. Netbooks and laptops are the standard in most educational realms, but I think we will eventually be able to do more with less hardware. I believe exposing young students to these devices accomplishes two things: 1) the ability to understand and utilize technology correctly without having to deal with a keyboard or mouse and 2) gives them an idea of what the future will bring technologically.
Yes, adding another grade level with laptops would be innovative, especially with the "walk to read" leveled reading instruction currently taking place. We have fourth and fifth graders mixed in Language Arts groups and the teacher are often hindered by the fact that the fourth graders can only "look on" when the fifth graders are using their laptops.
Jeanne you are correct. The fourth graders are ready to join in especially during our "walk to read". I think adding third and fourth grade next year would be great. We need to make sure our older building is brought up to date to handle the wireless needs of the students and the teachers.
it would be great to have computers in every grade especially in 4th grade. As students are now reading to learn students would really have a reason to read. Students would have two years to become proficient on all the different technology necessary to become successful in middle school and excel in high school with the techology.
I along with many teachers are ready to move more computors into other grade levels. Let's do it!!
Working at a school without a computer lab and without working student computers in the classroom, besides of course 5th grade, laptops on a cart is what I am yearning for. It is excellent that our 5th grade teachers can work past the entry level stage, as according to the k-12 center levels, however it leaves k-4 students without touching computers except for short amounts of time in the library. This really limits the teachers from going further than their own use of technology and leaves a large gap and jump between 4th and 5th grade. I really enjoyed seeing Vail's use of laptops or IPads on a cart which allows students to take their turn at learning via one to one computing. Laptops all the way down to 3rd grade is a great idea but without the foundations of computer use before that leaves a large challenge in the hands of those teachers which have to ensure the teaching of state standards and the utilization of computers at the same time(probably similiar to what 5th grade teachers are tackling). Unfortunately in our school neighborhood computer ownership and internet use at home is a very large challenge.
As I read through the posts it is apparent that we all agree that we need to start our technology training with our students in kindergarten. There is a consensus that we need to build basic computer skills early, so that as students reach the "read to learn" grades they don't have to struggle with basic computer skills. Let's study this need before we jump to try to address it. What we plan can either have a positive or negative effect on the technology initiative. We need to fully understand what we face in order to strategically address it.
I am absolutely onboard! However, I am not sure about younger students taking them home. I think that students need at least a year of classroom practice before they take home the laptops. Fourth grade would be perfect for this.