Thanks to everyone who gave me information about the laptop carts. Based on your
input, we have decided to postpone the purchase for the time being. Thanks!
Erica Payne, Media Specialist
Polk Elementary School
Dearborn Heights, MI
We have been using our computer classroom cart for about a month. We have a math
computer lab, a computer lab for teaching keyboarding, etc., at least 2 computers
in each classroom as well as a computer at the desk of every teacher, portable
smart boards, document cameras, digital video cameras, digital cameras and 18
computers in our library.
Our classroom computer cart is in use almost on a daily basis, right
Now it is being used by 3 different teachers on a regular basis, and
one teacher has used it once. I expect more use of the cart next
year.
One thing we have done is make every student sign out the laptop for the period --
the teachers weren't too happy about that, but we told them that if they didn't do
it and there were problems with one of the laptops then they would be held
responsible. This way if a computer has problems the student is responsible for the
cost of repair -- so far we haven't had any problems and we even had a sub in
charge of the cart for one of the teachers when she was absent.
*****
We have almost the same as you except for the whiteboards (lucky you!).
We
have two laptop carts in our elementary school. They are wonderful WHEN
THEY
ARE WORKING! The main problem with them is that they are abused by the
children. Even though classroom teachers are monitoring, they are shut
down
incorrectly, dropped, etc. The set that is used by the 2-4 grade
students
is in far worse condition than the one used by the 5-6 grades. When
they
are working they are great. It is so nice to do word processing and
internet
research with a whole class at one time. My principal has threatened
that
the broken ones will not be fixed
*******
We just got one last week and began using it this week, I will keep you
posted. Testing students is what prompted the actual purchase, but we
will have teachers waiting in line for it. It will be scheduled
through our tech person so greatest integration technology need will be
given higher priority. We have 12 computers in the libray, no lab and
the district will not have a lab. Each classroom has 4 computers and
teachers set up mini-labs of 8-10 when needed by borrowing from each
other.
*******
In our elementary we currently have a 24 computer tech
lab, three Imacs in each classroom and a mobile lab.
We will be adding laptops to the mobile lab next year
to bring it up to 18.
I've found the mobile lab to be invaluable. Our Tech
Lab is scheduled for the whole year, with each teacher
getting one set hour a week. Open times are available
on a first-come basis. I've wanted to do Internet
based projects with classes but can't use the lab
because a class is already signed up. That's when I
use the mobile lab. Other teachers use them for other
classroom projects like Creative Writing, reports,
etc. We do a weekly sign-out sheet where teachers can
reserve times in advance. So far it has been very
civil :-)
The kids really got the hang of using mouse-less
computers and treating the laptops appropriately.
*******
Our school has a wireless cart with 30 laptops.
Depending on the cart it can be very heavy to push.
Ours is a bear. The classroom teachers cannot push it
alone because it is so heavy. Another drawback is the
battery memory. Laptop batteries need to be run down
and then recharged fully. This does not sound like a
problem till reality checks in. Some teachers use
them and plug them back in.....before they can be
fully charged they are used again. Batteries have a
memory and if they are charged to a certain level over
and over that is as full as it will ever get. They
will not charge all the way. Also, if you use Kidpix
it eats memory. About 15-20 minutes on a fully
charged laptop is all you can use with Kidpix before
the battery dies. Truthfully, ours are not used as
much as they should be because it is just a hassle to
schedule them, get them, set them up, use them, plug
them back in and return them.
********
We have a wireless laptop lab that we ended up having to move to a
middle
school building because after we got it here we discovered that due to
the
steel infrastructure of the older part of our building, the only place
it
would work is in the more recently constructed media center which
already
has 50+ computers and very little work space to use them. Before you
order,
make sure they'll work in your setting. I do believe that the middle
school
has been happy with them.
*******
When I looked into this, the big problem was the batteries and
Recharging
*******
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