THE
GREAT MAINE LAPTOP EXPERIMENT
Chris
Toy, Principal
Freeport (ME) Middle School
Maine is undertaking a bold experiment. The goal: Put Apple iBooks in the hands of every middle schooler across the state. In September, the first wave of 17,000 laptops were distributed to 7th-graders at 239 schools, including Freeport Middle School, where MiddleWeb diarist Chris Toy is principal. A strong proponent of Maine's Learning Technology Initiative, Chris will chronicle the laptop adventure for us.
Laptop
Diary #18
A Critic Takes an Impromptu Tour
I learned recently that the tool of technology can cut both ways.
Our parent e-mail list is a very efficient way to get out daily announcements, requests for help, and last minute information to the 200-plus parents who have subscribed. It is also a way for parents to communicate with both the school and one another quite easily.
When the legislature was debating about whether to cut the funding for the laptop initiative, I asked if there were any parents who might be willing to write their representatives in support of the program. Several parents wrote back via the parent list with wonderfully supportive letters, describing how important it was for the students and the schools to participate in the MLTI. One participant in the online conversation was not so supportive, however. Interestingly this parent had moved her child to a local private school but requested to be kept on the e-mail list in order to keep in touch with what was happening in the schools. I agreed to do this as we often have families who return from private schools after some time away. Anyway, this parent wrote that she did not feel the laptops were a very good investment for several reasons. She had heard that very few of the teachers at the school knew how to use the laptops effectively and were therefore not using them in their classes. According to her, the laptops were sitting unused most of the time. She also had it on good authority that very few students used them for school work and that they were mostly used for playing online games during the school day. Finally, she stated that the laptops were a poor investment because the regular computer lab was not even being used effectively.Seizing an opportunity
As you can imagine, I was quite concerned about these kinds of things being written about the students, staff, school, and programs. I wrote a quick reply that her information was simply incorrect and invited any parents to drop by the school to see for themselves what was happening in the classrooms. A few parents also responded in support of the good work we were doing.
A couple days later as I walked out of my office, who should be standing in the office ordering a yearbook but the critical parent! I decided quickly that I should seize this opportunity. After greeting her I invited her to take an impromptu tour of the school to see how the computers were being utilitzed. I realized this was a risk because there was a possibility that no one would be using the computers. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about.
In every 7th grade room we entered students and teachers were engaged in using the laptops. In math the students were plugging in variables to create line graphs using Chipmunk Basic. In social studies the students were working in pairs doing research on Egypt. Some were at websites about Egyptian mythology, others were reading about the Pyramids, still others were learning about hieroglyphics, and one group was studying mummification. In language arts, students were researching and writing reports on their laptops. In science, students were doing online research about body systems.
As we walked into each classroom the students continued to work with one another. They were clearly engaged in what they were doing. I spoke to several of in each room, asking what they were working on. Every student I spoke with eagerly showed me what they were doing, wanting to share their discoveries online. I made sure the parent moved among the students and that she was nearby as I spoke to the students.
We also visited the library, which has a half-dozen computers set aside for online research. Every station was occupied with 8th grade students doing science research on energy. The 8th graders do not have laptops, but have had extensive experience doing Internet research. Finally we dropped by the computer lab where 20 sixth graders were learning about maglev vehicles. Those are vehicles that are held above a magnetic track, moving about with virtually no friction. The students research the vehicles and then design and build them to race.I don't know
if the improvised tour changed her mind about the MLTI, but it sure convinced
me that this program is now fully integrated into our school and is changing
how teaching and learning happens on a daily basis.
