Re: [LM_NET] Laptop Carts

[Joel Shoemaker <SHOEBLUE@MCHSI.COM>]

This advice is probably more practical than sage, but...

1) Make sure the carts are big enough for the laptops. As inexpensive laptops have 
gotten bigger, the original carts we bought were not large enough to allow them to 
be plugged and and recharged with the doors shut. We moved the "back wall" where 
the plug-ins are located about two inches further back and managed to get by. 
Another answer would have been to remove the doors on the carts, but we were 
worried that this would lead to more damage as the cart was moved through doorways 
and past student desks in our already crowded classrooms.

That's the biggest problem we have had with damage on the laptops--the connection 
between the charger and the laptop getting broken. This was more of a problem when 
we had Macs and has been less of a problem with our HP/Compaqs.

2) We prefer to check out the entire cart (or two) to the teacher and have them 
manage their use with students. Most do not keep any kind of track of which student 
uses which computer. Teachers keep the carts in their room for the duration of the 
project, which is ususally only one or two days. Of course some teachers bring them 
back in great shape--all there, all shut down, all plugged in and ready to 
re-charge. Some do not. It's a constant battle. We also have mice in a box on top 
of the cart for those who prefer them. We lose some every year.

We reserved five laptops, not on the carts, for teachers to check out as needed. 
But when, for one reason or another, this wasn't enough, teachers would too often 
grab one from the cart, causing problems for the teachers who then came in 
expecting to find enough for their class to use. In addition, the chargers 
sometimes ended up separated from the laptops--lost--causing additional problems.

Our jury-rigged solution has been to 1) make sure all library staff understands 
that we discourage letting computers from the carts go out to individuals and 2) 
"tying" the chargers in place in the carts with plastic cable ties so that even if 
the laptop goes out, the charger is more likely to stay in place and not get lost. 
When REALLY needed, the charger can be slipped out of the cable ties, but mostly it 
keeps them where they belong.

Hope this helps,

Joel
shoemaker.joel@iccsd.k12.ia.us
South East Junior High
Iowa City, IA
-------------- Original message from Susan Solo <SSolo@GRASSLAKESCHOOLS.COM>: 
-------------- 


> I'm looking for sage advice and dire warnings from those of you 
> responsible for laptop carts. Our district just approved the purchase of 
> 4 carts with 15 computers each, all to be housed here in the media 
> center. These will replace desktop computer labs that will be needed 
> next year for classrooms and will travel outside the media center to 
> instructional areas. 
> 
> Rather than list my concerns, which may be unfounded, I'd like to hear 
> what you've experienced, please, and let me know what kind of check out 
> procedures you use. Do you ask that each laptop be checked out to each 
> student, or just send the carts out to teachers requesting them? Do you 
> ask that carts come back at the end of each hour, or allow them to stay 
> in a classroom all day, or all week? 
> 
> I appreciate any and all suggestions you have, 
> 
> 
> 
> Susan Solo 
> Library Media Center 
> Grass Lake High School 
> Grass Lake, MI 49240 
> solo@grasslakeschools.com 
> 
> 
> “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the 
> set, I go into the other room and read a book.” 
> 
> - Groucho Marx 
> 
> 
> 
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