National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
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Laptops for Learning
Middle Matters » vol 12 n. 3, Spring 2004 » page(s) 1-3
Maine’s middle-level students
have a unique distinction. They’re the first to be part of a statewide laptop
program. In the third year of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative(MLTI),
every seventh- and eighth-grade student and teacher in the state has received a
wireless Apple iBook laptop. There are now more than 37,000 of them in Maine’s
239 middle-level schools.
The results, so far, have been positive. Student engagement and attendance are
up and behavior referrals are down (Silvernail and Harris 2003). There are even
early indicators that MLTI is having a positive effect on achievement (Muir,
Knezek, and Christensen 2004). After three years with the program, we can
reflect on the lessons learned from such an ambitious educational initiative.
Lesson 1: Focus on Learning
When looking at other
large-scale technology initiatives, it quickly becomes clear that they fall
into two categories: those that focus on hardware and software and those that
focus on teaching and learning. Analyzing more than 700 studies, Schacter
(1995)concludes that “one of the enduring difficulties about technology and
education is that a lot of people think about the technology first and the
education later.”
Maine has stayed focused on learning in several ways. A teacher leader is
selected in each school to function as a two-way conduit for information
between the state department of education and the school. Also, the MLTI staff
has devoted extensive resources to professional development for teachers,
focusing on sharing resources and best practices, group problem- solving, and
how technology skills can be used to teach academic content.
Lesson 2: Use Technology to Enhance the Curriculum
Perhaps the most significant
way the initiative has remained focused on learning is in the ways the laptops
have allowed educatorsto enhance their curricula. Some people outside the
schools mistakenly think that the objective is to make sure that all students
are trained in the use of technology. The technological competence learned
through the program comes not from direct training, but in using it daily to
learn academic subjects.
Virtual mathematical manipulatives, for example, allow teachers to present
mathematical concepts to students via multiple representations instantaneously.
In science classes, students can plug in microscopes and compare different
samples by capturing images of the slides rather than taking time to make
sketches. Students will leave school not only knowing how to use technology,
but how to use it to learn.
Lesson 3: Increase the Relevancy of Schooling
Too many students feel that
school doesn’t have much to do with their lives or with the real world. While
they could send e-mail and instant messages at home, they still had to write
out their school assignments by hand. They could learn about their favorite
team or performer on the Internet, but had to conduct their school research
using outdated encyclopedias and under-stocked libraries.
The laptops have changed this and made learning more relevant in other ways,
too. For example, place-based learning focuses on students’ communities and
helps connect them to school. In this approach, students study the potato
harvest and create materials relating to the region’s most important product.
Lesson 4: Send the Laptops Home
Many of Maine’s middle schools
allow students to take their laptops home, and the benefits are profound.
Students have as much as four times the access to educational materials and
tools when they can use the laptops both at school and at home. In many cases,
access at home is also a powerful equity issue.
MLTI technology at home benefits the whole family. One of the schools
discovered that its GED and adult education enrollments increased as soon as
they started letting students take the laptops home. A case study of one middle
school found that students who did not have a computer at home and were not
allowed to take a laptop home scored lower on computer skills, attitude toward
school, and self-concept than other students who had access to a home computer.
Maine is working to expand the initiative into its high schools, and is
examining how middle schools have benefited from giving students a powerful
educational tool. Other jurisdictions are considering similar initiatives. They
will have a greater chance for success by incorporating these four lessons into
their planning, regardless of the type of technology used.
References
King, A. “Can I Have My
Laptop So I Can Email My Lawyer?” Presentation at Noble High School, Berwick,
Maine, on November 25, 2003. Available at www.sad60.k12.me.us/king/
Muir, M.; Knezek, G.; and Christensen, R. “The Maine Learning Technology
Initiative: An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Ubiquitous Technology on
Student Achievement.” Maine Learning with Laptop Study, 2004. Available at www.mcmel.org/MLLS
Schacter, J. “The Impact of Educational Technology on Student Achievement.” The
Milken Exchange on Educational Technology, 1995. Available at www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?page=161
Silvernail, D. L.; and Harris W. J. “The Maine Learning Technology Initiative:
Teacher, Student, and School Perspectives Mid-Year Evaluation Report.” Maine
Education Policy Research Institute, 2003. Available at www.usm.maine.edu/cepare/
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Mike Muir is assistant professor of educational technology and middle level
education at the University of Maine at Farmington. He serves on the design
team for curriculum and professional development for the Maine Learning
Technology Initiative and is principal investigator for the Maine Learning with
Laptop Study. His e-mail address is mmuir@maine.edu.
