The german magazin "Der Spiegel" reported online about the Liverpool Highschool (New York) banning all laptops from school.
Does anyone know more about the background?
Only in german:
http://www.spiegel.de/schulspiegel/wissen/0,1518,483245,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/schulspiegel/wissen/0,1518,481086,00.html
They also point to a recent report in The New York Times, which said the Liverpool, N.Y., school system is joining a handful of districts in other states that are abandoning laptop programs because of misuse by students, technical problems, and a lack of educational value.
Laptops a Bust
Seven-year experiment at Liverpool High comes up empty
Friday, May 11, 2007
Something unexpected happened on the way to the computerized classroom.
It turns out the laptops that were supposed to revolutionize learning, boost test scores and prepare students for the 21st century did nothing of the sort.
Instead, the laptop-equipped students ran cyber-circles around their elders, using them to play games and download music as much as to improve their academic performance...
In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Jeffery Watkins -
I live in Liverpool, NY and my children attend the Liverpool schools.
Laptops were not banned, Liverpool has opted to drop their laptop program because it was poorly thought out and did not produce the results they expected. Residents have questioned this program from the start.
This seemed like a case of technology for technology's sake without any real plan as to how they would be used or what the teachers would do with them in their classes. In my opinion, Liverpool simply wanted to point to the fact that they had a laptop program.
I believe the thought process worked something like this: Computer are good. Smart people use computers. Students with computers will be smarter. Lets give each student a computer to make them smarter.
A number of years ago I interviewed at another Central NY district with a laptop program. It was clear during the interview process that they did not really have a plan either, and were hoping that technology savvy teachers would pick up the slack. About half of the questions asked concerned what I would do each day with a room full of students with laptops. I asked them what they were doing to help teachers integrate the laptops into their curriculum. They didn't really have an answer.... and I don't think they liked me asking that question.
What is sad about this, besides all of the public tax money they wasted, was that the blame for this failure will either fall on the broad back of technology, or on the teachers who were never part of the decision process, who were never trained to take advantage of this, and who probably had good ideas which were ignored.
Jeff
Laptops were not banned, Liverpool has opted to drop their laptop program because it was poorly thought out and did not produce the results they expected. Residents have questioned this program from the start.
This seemed like a case of technology for technology's sake without any real plan as to how they would be used or what the teachers would do with them in their classes. In my opinion, Liverpool simply wanted to point to the fact that they had a laptop program.
I believe the thought process worked something like this: Computer are good. Smart people use computers. Students with computers will be smarter. Lets give each student a computer to make them smarter.
A number of years ago I interviewed at another Central NY district with a laptop program. It was clear during the interview process that they did not really have a plan either, and were hoping that technology savvy teachers would pick up the slack. About half of the questions asked concerned what I would do each day with a room full of students with laptops. I asked them what they were doing to help teachers integrate the laptops into their curriculum. They didn't really have an answer.... and I don't think they liked me asking that question.
What is sad about this, besides all of the public tax money they wasted, was that the blame for this failure will either fall on the broad back of technology, or on the teachers who were never part of the decision process, who were never trained to take advantage of this, and who probably had good ideas which were ignored.
Jeff
In reply to Jeffery Watkins
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Richard Treves -
Jeff,
Very interesting, I hope one day to give a presentation where I don't say
"Just because we can, does not mean we should'
but it still applies in most areas I'm looking at so I keep on saying it.
I also have to say that I think that the one laptop per child project is on the same track, check out the site whilst it name checks constructivism, the site is all about the fun techy stuff they've been playing with, when it comes to how students are going to use the laptops to learn better it goes all vague. It reminds me of a comment by John Naughton about the UK governments ill thought out plans for bringing the internet into UK schools back around 2000: 'they seem to think that the internet is a pipe by which knowledge can be piped into schools'.
Rich
Very interesting, I hope one day to give a presentation where I don't say
"Just because we can, does not mean we should'
but it still applies in most areas I'm looking at so I keep on saying it.
I also have to say that I think that the one laptop per child project is on the same track, check out the site whilst it name checks constructivism, the site is all about the fun techy stuff they've been playing with, when it comes to how students are going to use the laptops to learn better it goes all vague. It reminds me of a comment by John Naughton about the UK governments ill thought out plans for bringing the internet into UK schools back around 2000: 'they seem to think that the internet is a pipe by which knowledge can be piped into schools'.
Rich
In reply to Richard Treves
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Jeffery Watkins -
I graduated with my teaching degree about 10 years ago. Internet technologies were certainly alive and kicking, yet nothing in my teacher courses ever talked about using technology in class. In fact, because I was known as a tech person, my seminar instructor asked me to prepare a lesson on using technology in class to be delivered to my fellow students.
Later, when I was working on my Master's in Ed Tech, the classes I took were not really about integrating technology into my lessons as much as they were about all of the different forms of technology available.
I think all of us in education has seen or worked for people who were more interested in the novelty of technology than in really making it work for the students and teachers.
Jeff
Later, when I was working on my Master's in Ed Tech, the classes I took were not really about integrating technology into my lessons as much as they were about all of the different forms of technology available.
I think all of us in education has seen or worked for people who were more interested in the novelty of technology than in really making it work for the students and teachers.
Jeff
In reply to Richard Treves
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Frances Bell -
Here is a slightly earlier quote (one of my favourites)
"The mere fact that something can be done does not mean it should be done.
This truism is generally acknowledged but just as generally ignored in
decisions about the deployment of computer technology. The balance
between action and restraint, on which civilized society rests, needs to be redressed in the direction of greater restraint. This is not a new message, but it is especially timely as the pace of change threatens to overwhelm our capacity to adapt."
Mowshowitz, A. 1997, 'Lessons From a Cautionary Tale', Communications of the ACM, vol. 4, no. 5.
"The mere fact that something can be done does not mean it should be done.
This truism is generally acknowledged but just as generally ignored in
decisions about the deployment of computer technology. The balance
between action and restraint, on which civilized society rests, needs to be redressed in the direction of greater restraint. This is not a new message, but it is especially timely as the pace of change threatens to overwhelm our capacity to adapt."
Mowshowitz, A. 1997, 'Lessons From a Cautionary Tale', Communications of the ACM, vol. 4, no. 5.
In reply to Frances Bell
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Richard Treves -
aha! always thought I'd got that from somewhere but not remembered where, that sounds like it.
Thanks
Rich
Thanks
Rich
In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock
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"The laptops alone don't improve the teaching!"
He's hit the nail on the head there! I think this school has had some vague idea that if they give all their students laptops then the Learning Fairy will come during the night and the kids will suddenly get straight A's in their exams. They might as well have given them oak desks or gold fountain pens and expected miraculous results. Technology can enhance teaching - it will never replace it.
In reply to Chris Lamb
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Ulrike Montgomery -
It's obvious that this particular high school had no plan and, above all, no VLE.
I still remember my teaching BM (before Moodle) where the same thing happened: My school spent a lot on computers, but nobody showed us what to do with them. It was like giving us a car without driving lessons.
Our students, however, did everything and anything with the computers except study. It was quite frustrating. At the end of the lesson they didn't know more than at the beginning and ,in addition, our school server became more and more cluttered with all the stuff they downloaded. Just when I was about to ban technology from my teaching and revert to old-fashioned textbook-and-chalk lessons, I discovered Moodle and I learned a lot from the community on how to intergrate technology.
I don't really need a computer lab at school. My students do most of their Moodle work at home and those with no Internet connection at home can work at school after their lessons. During the lessons I use Moodle to discuss their assignments, forum posts or whatever they've done at home. One laptop and a computer is sufficient for the classroom. And when I let my students use the computer lab every once in a while, they know that I can track whatever they do.
It would be interesting to know if any of the computer-banning schools have used Moodle. I really don't think so.
I still remember my teaching BM (before Moodle) where the same thing happened: My school spent a lot on computers, but nobody showed us what to do with them. It was like giving us a car without driving lessons.
Our students, however, did everything and anything with the computers except study. It was quite frustrating. At the end of the lesson they didn't know more than at the beginning and ,in addition, our school server became more and more cluttered with all the stuff they downloaded. Just when I was about to ban technology from my teaching and revert to old-fashioned textbook-and-chalk lessons, I discovered Moodle and I learned a lot from the community on how to intergrate technology.
I don't really need a computer lab at school. My students do most of their Moodle work at home and those with no Internet connection at home can work at school after their lessons. During the lessons I use Moodle to discuss their assignments, forum posts or whatever they've done at home. One laptop and a computer is sufficient for the classroom. And when I let my students use the computer lab every once in a while, they know that I can track whatever they do.
It would be interesting to know if any of the computer-banning schools have used Moodle. I really don't think so.
In reply to Ulrike Montgomery
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Art Lader -
I think you are probably right about the lack of a plan. (Jeffrey W. thinks so, too, I think.)
Anyway, I do not see why simply "having" laptops would improve instruction any more than just "having" Moodle, Smart Boards or any other instructional tool.
For my take on this, see http://docs.moodle.org/en/The_Good_Teacher
-- Art
The reason you do not understand why simply having laptops would improve instruction is because you are not an attention seeking school administrator out to make a name for yourself. 
I demo'ed Moodle for some people the other day, and some questions were asked that required me to point out that Moodle is a tool. And, like all tools, one must learn to use it if there is going to be success. Unfortunately, many public officials jump on the bandwagon of whatever they think is wanted, without ever really stopping to think out the consequences of such actions.
It would not surprise me if some Liverpool teacher brought up the idea that students would use the laptops for non academic things... and might have even mentioned the need to develop some training on how best to implement such a program. I am sure some training was offered, but the laptop program was probably more of a gimmicky way of showing how progressive this district was in education.
Jeff
I demo'ed Moodle for some people the other day, and some questions were asked that required me to point out that Moodle is a tool. And, like all tools, one must learn to use it if there is going to be success. Unfortunately, many public officials jump on the bandwagon of whatever they think is wanted, without ever really stopping to think out the consequences of such actions.
It would not surprise me if some Liverpool teacher brought up the idea that students would use the laptops for non academic things... and might have even mentioned the need to develop some training on how best to implement such a program. I am sure some training was offered, but the laptop program was probably more of a gimmicky way of showing how progressive this district was in education.
Jeff
In reply to Jeffery Watkins
Re: German Magazine about US Highschool Banning Laptops
by Thanat K.T. -
Hmm, interesting. I don't even know how to use this kind of moodle.