So we are finally getting somewhere. Our laptop project has taken some big steps and we are nearly ready for September and the 4 classes to begin work with their new laptop resource. 8 is the magic number.
I have managed to purchase 8 laptops for each of the 4 classes involved which is great news. After much deliberation and balancing of features and budget we have gone for Toshiba A120s and I am happy with the sort of spec these machines have and also the sort of pedigree they come with. We also were able to take advantage of an amazing 3 year swap out and refund warranty. So they will not only replace the broken machine but refund us the cost of the machine!
I never imagined these machines to be high flying super computers. They need to slog through just basic multimedia and online work – as we have a very strong computer suite too, we can afford for these machines to be slimmer in terms of their computing power and features. So what will happen with these new machines? What will be their regular diet in terms of use?
I suspect that it will take some time to get used to the idea that no one is going to book the laptops out or take them away. They are in the classes to stay – what a luxury! But the pedagogical change cannot be underestimated and over the next few days, and early on in September I will be working closely with the teachers involved to ensure our eyes are open to the possibilities.
It would be very easy for someone like me to go charging in spouting about all sorts of stuff that can be done but that would be wrong. My past experiences of colleagues working with new technology has taught me to ensure they are comfortable accepting it into their learning environment and that they can happily access it for short period of time independently. So that they become familiar, they form an opinion and want more. All guns blazing is not the drill here. Remember not everyone thinks like you Tom!
After this initial time I will then work with the staff to focus their attention on specific aspects of the technology and perhaps deliver some training. I may introduce one thing such as Diigo for research or something like Voicethread. This is how I approached the whole school training and development of our interactive whiteboards back in 2004 and that was very successful.
So the wheels are in motion and no doubt will gather in momentum as we get storage and wireless connectivity sorted.