1to1

Developing a one to one computing initiative at Burr and Burton:

Thoughts...

Just tossing out large items and nuts and bolts items that will need addressing:

If students were required to have their own laptop for school:

Purchase model ? Recommended platforms and hardware aka the college route. DD lets get a review of software used... I Pieces.. DD Mac vs.IBM vs. Linux?

Insurance: Complete care should be required for damage replacement. DD Agreed

Power: Managing batteries ? Does this lead to more power connections in classrooms if there is no centralized battery management ? DD When would a full charge not last the day? DD Earthwalk

Should we be concerned about it or leave this up to the education of the users ? DD Teaching responsibility... DD In the middle school you are responsible for keeping charged.

Site License software: I think institutional licenses and upgrade assurance could be purchased, saving considerable money for students. The form agreement that it is the individuals responsibility to delete the software when they graduate should absolve the schools responsibility. DD some of the above (what software) would apply here as well. DD OS vs. applications

School stores with vendors: Offering purchase discounts:

Infrastructure: Begun ... still needs work

Branching out here:

Reinventing how teachers collect assignments: moving toward (as Brian mentioned) / promoting a paperless system. Providing less printers! BIG Piece here--- Faculty usage/buyin

Open Source:

Being less concerned about what students use when they write.

Online resources: Google for Domains. Docs and Spreadsheets.

Software titles by course: Students have to learn to install themselves. 'Checkout' option via the library and class list. Safety of systems and network...antivirus etc.

Server connections / clients / login scripts: Having students browse and connect to servers / areas they need rather than client login scripts.

Suffield approach : Students backup their own data ? Real world experience. Large cost savings for the school. Shared file servers exist for classes but students storage disappears ? Real education required to backup intellectual data. Very slick.

At our last meeting it became very clear that we might be looking at 1 to 1 in the wrong way. Older people (educated before or during the personal computer era) think of laptops not as tools but as a nice little extra. I think we need to spend some time devising methods to educate our own faculty and staff as to the real world need for computers as an essential tool not only in the classroom but in the workplace as well. I believe this one issue (more so than the financing) is what is holding the program back.

Food for thought: Almost every company that employes "Knowledge Workers" issue at least one PC to every employee as standard practice. So if computers are neccessary equipment for Lawyers, Accountants, Bankers, Consultants, Scientists, Engineers, Professors, and almost every intellectual pursuit... why is education an exception? If it is deemed that all these professions could not do their job without a computer, then how can we expect students to learn effectively without the availability of such a resource. If I'm working as an Lawyer I don't go "down to the lab to type up my legal brief."