<div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">--</blockquote><div>I with you Ken<br>lets do it <br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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ken price, kenjprice at <a href="http://gmail.com" target="_blank">gmail.com</a> 24th Feb 09:35:25 EST 2009 [Yr7-10it]<br>
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I think I'd try for a different approach.<br>
<br>
Rather than extend the current model of schools providing computers to<br>
students (an approach that began in the 70s and 80s when most families<br>
did not have a computer, and where schools were the only practical owners<br>
of ICT for education), I think I'd hope for a country where society<br>
expects each student to have their own personal computng device as a<br>
future member of a country with a 21st century economy.<br>
<br>
They would NOT have this device given to them by the school, but would<br>
own it themselves in the same way they own a uniform, books etc. They<br>
would own it and thus have the complete responsibility for ensuring it<br>
works, charging its battery, updating its software, doing what else it<br>
needs to keep functioning, and carrying it with them. Just as they now<br>
do with mobile phones, which seem to work remarkably well without the<br>
assistance of armies of school IT support staff. And kids in general<br>
don't vandalise or corrupt their phone, they reserve that activity for<br>
things owned by others.<br>
<br>
Kids in struggling financial situations would be covered in the same way<br>
as they are now for books etc.<br>
<br>
Before people scream in horror at the cost - I bought a name-brand<br>
netbook at Christmas time from a large national chain store for under<br>
$300 including their extended warranty. I think this would last maybe 2<br>
to 3 years in an educational setting, so that's about $2 to $3 a week.<br>
<br>
After tax breaks this drops to a bit over a dollar a week or so. It's<br>
not out of the question for most families, and for those who find it<br>
impossible it's within the realms of a federal fund to bring in some<br>
equity. Well, far more realistic than giving schools the liability of<br>
computers that they have to maintain.<br>
<br>
As schools won't own these student-owned computers, they would have no<br>
obligation to allocate resources to repair them. You break, you fix. Works<br>
with mobile phones. In many ways, computers are the last thing schools<br>
ought to own, as they present a management liability. There is a good<br>
reason why fast-food restaurants and coffee shops increasingly provide<br>
customers with broadband but not computers - who'd want to be responsible<br>
for maintaining fleets of computers?<br>
<br>
Schools/systems would be funded (and expected) to provide fast wireless<br>
connectivity on site, storage and printing facilites, classroom facilites<br>
(data projectors, etc) and maybe screens and keyboards for cases where<br>
extended use might give rise to OHS issues.<br>
<br>
It is interesting that most students find school connectivity to be worse<br>
than what they get at home on even the cheapest broadband plan.<br>
<br>
Possibly schools would have a small number of computers for specialised<br>
tasks that are beyond the netbook type of device. And of course they'd<br>
distribute educational sofware and provide online environments to support<br>
learning within and outside the school. I think it goes without saying<br>
that they would provide a reason for students to use their computers as<br>
part of their education (if not, there is no purpose to this discussion).<br>
<br>
Theft you say? Ok, microwave ovens used to be THE thing for burglars to<br>
steal. This was because they were expensive and not everyone had one. Now,<br>
no crim would bother with a microwave (car GPS devices are apparently the<br>
big-ticket itme for petty crims now). I literally could not give away a<br>
microwave oven recently - they are now cheap, abundant and hence not worth<br>
stealing. So the theft problem is very likely to decline significantly as<br>
portable computers become more ubiquitous.<br>
<br>
The current technical support model could be swung across to support and<br>
enhance infrastructure for learning instead of dealing with break/fix<br>
problems.<br>
<br>
Teachers? Maybe they would be given a computing device as part of their<br>
employment.<br>
<br>
More important though is that employers would require teachers to be able<br>
to use it as part of their professional practice, as with most other<br>
professions. No ifs, no buts.<br>
<br>
If we are serious about the importance of ICT in education (as expounded<br>
in the Learning in an online World etc publications) then how can we<br>
accept people opting out of this aspect of pedagogy? It's as if you get a<br>
spinal injury and go to a hospital and see an MRI machine there, but the<br>
doctors tell you they don't believe in them or don't know how to use it.<br>
<br>
Yes, this has PD imlpications, but at least the PD will be better used<br>
than it has been in the past 20-odd years, where much of the PD on ICT<br>
use has not reached those who most need it.<br>
<br>
Yes, this idea has flaws and would require a cultural shift. But cost-wise<br>
it compares pretty well with other alternatives and might shift things<br>
towards a sustainable learning culture which makes better use of ICT to<br>
personalise and support learning, and which moves some of the obligations<br>
off schools and frees them to do what they do best.<br>
<br>
Might have some possibilites.... Ken (TASITE Tasmania)<br>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Free and Open education for all<br><br>Peter Ruwoldt<br>Grant High School<br>Hosking Avenue<br>MOUNT GAMBIER SA 5290<br><br>P. 08 87263128<br>F. 08 87250173<br><br><a href="mailto:ruwoldtp@granths.sa.edu.au">ruwoldtp@granths.sa.edu.au</a><br>
<a href="http://www.watiwara.com">http://www.watiwara.com</a><br>