Laptop Computers: School Utilization and Student Achievement

Laptop Computers: School Utilization and Student Achievement

It has become all too evident in today’s society that there is a need for a quality, successful education system. The need for skills in technology are also obvious. Schools across the nation are now trying to achieve both of these goals by providing a laptop computer to each student. Principal John Kozusko, an administrator at one such school claims, “It’s like a world apart. It’s changed the way teachers teach…the way they think about kids.” (Chute, 2000 ¶4) According to Speaker Rick Johnson of the Michigan House of Representatives, “Students have progressed from learning about computers to learning from them.” (Johnson, 2003,18) This paper will examine how laptops are being utilized in schools and the effect that they have on student achievement.

Participation

The movement to use laptop computers to provide a first-rate education to all students has quickly been spreading across the nation. Throughout the United States, Microsoft has counted more than 125,000 students and teachers at 800 schools participating in such programs. (Chute, 2000) In researching this topic, I have found documentation of programs in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in a number of different states. These states include, but are not limited to, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, California, Michigan, and Texas.

Some schools fund the program on their own, often starting with a pilot program and expanding as funds become available. (Seeing is, nd) Others collaborate with corporations such as Microsoft and Netschools. (Chute, 2000) Additional funding has come from sources such as business donations, personal monies, federal funds, and bond money. (Corcoran, 2002)

Laptop Usage

The cases described throughout this paper all include schools that provided laptops for students and/or teachers so that the student to computer ratio was 1:1. As stated above, for some schools this was done with a pilot group, while other schools provided computers to all students. Students are then required to bring their laptop to class, ready to use, just as they must bring their textbooks, pencils, and other necessary materials. (Chute, 2000) They are also responsible for charging the battery for their computer and transporting their computer to and from school on a daily basis. How the computer is equipped varies depending on the make of the computer and the operating system and firewalls set up by the schools.