A May 2008 article in eSchool News reports that researchers surveyed about 400 school administrators between April and September 2007. This resulted in the 2008 America's Digital Schools report by Thomas W. Greaves of The Greaves Group and Jeanne Hayes of The Hayes Connection.
Here are some of the findings and related quotes:
- The quantity and quality of one-to-one computing programs has increased since 2006.
- "one-to-one computing is not a fad, but has lasting efficacy"
- "one-to-one computing can only be successful through teacher ownership"
- Online formative assessment is a trend on the rise.
- "The use of … online assessment … suggests a real improvement in using tests to help students learn what they don't know, rather than beat them over the head- after the fact--about what they don't know."
- "The only major inhibitor to online assessment, according to survey respondents, is the lack of suitable student devices with which to take the exams."
- Interactive whiteboards (such as SmartBoards) are now viewed as "standard equipment".
- "The report predicts that [interactive whiteboards] will be in nearly every school five years from now."
- While use of learning management software (such as Blackboard or Moodle) has increased, its full potential has not be realized.
- "Schools frequently take less than full advantage of the available applications."
- Internet bandwidth "remains in a state of crisis".
- "The average amount of bandwidth needed per student has climbed some 123 percent from year to year."
- "Two-thirds of those polled say they have implemented a policy to restrict the use of certain applications in order to conserve bandwidth--including banning streaming video."
2 comments:
Hi Mr. Bill Campbell,
My name is Annie Park and I am a journalism student from Northwestern University's summer program.
I am wondering if it would be alright to ask you a few questions for my article. We were assigned to write a trend story about a topic of
our choice; I chose to study the increasing amount of technology used in school classrooms.
I go to an international school in Korea and we use the one-to-one laptop program.
1. Do you have any information or statistics about the number of one-to-one laptop programs initiated in the past several years? (total number, percentage increase, any number would be good)
2. In your opinion, why is it important for students to use laptops at school? Why is it important for schools to incorporate more technology in their curriculum? (what are the benefits, etc.)
3. Are there any negative sides to using laptops at school?
4. How have schools' general curriculums changed after this program started?
Also, if you know anybody or any source that might be able to give me more information about this, please let me know.
Please reply to anniexbananie@gmail.com
Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to read this comment.
Sincerely,
Annie Park
Hi Annie,
I'm happy to respond to your questions two through four from the perspective of my experiences at my school. I don't have the statistics on other one-to-one programs you asked about in number one as our reason for a one-to-one program was not because x number of other schools have one. One program of note that you might want to look into if you haven't already is in Maine. They have a statewide one-to-one program that includes all (I think) public middle schools and some high schools.
You might be able to follow-up with Alice Barr or Cheryl Oakes about Maine's program. They are both tech-savvy, innovative, Maine educators.
I probably won't get to your other questions until the week of July 27 though as I'm away through all of next week. Is that time-frame still useful to you? You can email me at campbb [at] d-e [dot] org if you wish.
Also, I'd be interested in seeing your article after it is written. If you post it publicly, please add a comment here with a link to it.
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