Archive
Should OLPC get out of the netbook business?
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One Laptop Per Child is still working on their goal of producing a $100 laptop to help bridge the digital divide. This article questions whether they should be in the business at all given that existing computer companies are now making a similar product.
Rethinking Computers in the Classroom
Rethinking Computers in the Classroom (article)
This article discusses some of the benefits and challenges of President-elect Obama’s plan to add more technology to classrooms. I’m not seeing anything especially new here. From what I read we still have the same issues of funding and lack of training. The only effective funding plan is permanent dollars, which doesn’t seem realistic at this time. A short-term plan to put more computers in the classroom may seem like a good start but that technology will get old and we’ll be right back where we are now. We also need dedicated funding for professional development. Staff need ongoing technology training addressing how to use technology for instruction, learning, assessment, and professional productivity.
Would mini laptops be a good choice for your school?
Mini laptops a hit with schools
California school district buys about 10,000 mini-laptops. This may truly be “the fall to go small.”
About
David Wicks
Educational Technology
I have been active in the instructional technology world for over 20 years. My previous positions include: high school teacher, university lecturer, school district technology facilitator, multimedia author, and project manager for an educational technology company. My current position is Director of Instructional Technology at Seattle Pacific University. As Director, I regularly consults with faculty on effective uses of technology. I have been involved in the development of numerous online and blended courses. In addition, I have taught face-to-face, blended, and online courses in the School of Education for over ten years.
Recent projects include: developing a Web 2.0 electronic portfolio system based on WordPress, creating a feature-comparison matrix for lecture capture solutions, and leading SPU’s iTunes U project. I am an Associate Editor for MERLOT’s Teacher Education Editorial Board. I served as program chair for the 2013 International Symposium for Emerging Technologies in Online Learning, and will be the conference chair for the 2014 conference. Currently, I facilitate faculty learning communities on topics such as learning spaces, active learning, blended learning, and mobile learning.
