Journal 3 Keeping the Peace (NETS IV and V)

Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfmSection=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

This article was about a school in Nueva that decided to have a student to laptop ratio of 1:1. Every student at the school gets a laptop. The laptop had technologies on them like instant messaging and ichat. Since the students were allowed to take the computers home, this brought many problems for the school and families. Some families did not want their children to use ichat and instant messaging, and did not like that the school forced those technologies on their households when they were not ready for it. Some parents welcomed the socialization for their children and claimed it helped take away school cliques. The laptops were supposed to be about education and they were beginning to become quite the opposite. Students were instant messaging and ichatting during class and that was distracting to them and teachers. It eventually led to parent meetings and the school came to decide that they would ban the instant messaging and ichat websites from the laptops. Some people welcomed the ban others did not.

How would a 1:1 laptop ratio change the dynamic of a classroom?

Students would be able to access a vast array of knowledge and information on the Internet. I could also see the laptops becoming extremely distracting and taking away from learning. There would definitely need to be boundaries in place.

How could instant messaging and ichat help students?

Instant messaging and ichat would come in handy when students had questions outside of school. They would be able to work together on assignments outside of school.