Mr. Hundal

Front End Estimation

Welcome to the math tutorials!  We will be posting mini-lessons on here so that you can access these tutorials from anywhere with internet access. Remember that your class notes are your primary notes, and these on-line tutorials are to help you if your stuck.

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The summary of the reading, Defining Reflection can be found here

Laptop Carts vs Computer Lab
By: Sanjeev S. Hundal

A technology that has changed the world forever is the computer. The box of digital brains that people spend hours and hours on has had a great impact on our daily lives. There are a large number of purposes and uses of the computer: internet, writing, communication, research, music, videos, digitalization, etc. The world is now within our reach and is just a click away. Educators and schools have realized the endless uses of the computer and have began to implement it into their teaching practice. As a result, computer labs were created where traditionally there would be a seperate room of computers and teachers would take their students there during their allotted time. On the flip side, laptop carts have become available whereby a teacher can sign out a cart which typically have 15-25 laptops in them and wheel it into their classroom, thus becoming a mobile lab. In my teaching experience thus far, I would argue that the latter is more effective than having a traditional lab. A mobile lab is beneficial because of space, student centered learning, group work, centers, time and integration.

Traditional computer labs started off as a revolutionary idea. Teachers would go to the lab and get students to type out assignments for the most part or teach computer programs. The original purpose was fitting for the time, but with the advent of the internet and other applications, students are sequestered into only using a computer in the lab when their classroom has it available to them. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives said when commenting on the value of laptops, “This is why I like laptops – you can take them home. I’m not very impressed with computers that schools have chained to desks. I’m very impressed when kids have their own computers because they are liberated from a failed bureaucracy” (Stager 2003). The interface between human beings needs to be changed and one possible way is with laptops.

The educational system preaches that students should be empowered. While this hopefully does happen in most classrooms to a certain degree, with the laptop this could happen all of the time. Kids have embraced their laptops and their power as learners. We have seen legions of kids do amazing work on their laptops — Mozart-playing algebraic equation solvers; interactive animated reports illustrating countless curricular concepts; homemade video games; programmed robots; streaming web-based radio stations; multimedia productions; MIDI-based musical compositions; science experiments controlled by probes attached to laptops; dynamic poetry; student build science simulations; plays written and blocked; desktop published documents and much more (Stager 2003). The work done by students is for the most part performed in groups on laptops, which promotes group work and leadership skills. New forms of learning must replace old forms of learning, as well as new forms of teaching styles must replace old forms.

One of the key components of teaching a lesson is the hook. The vast majority of students are connected to technology so what better way to get their attention than by using technology in the classroom. Students want to connect with the world and many do at their homes via the computer. By bringing in laptops into the classroom, students can further extend this passion into their education (Nair, 2007). Teachers can facilitate this by integrating the technology into the classroom. Whereas in the computer lab, teachers and students are subjected to several barriers. Firstly, there is the time constraint; time is wasted going to and from the lab, not to mention you only have a certain amount of time blocked per week. Secondly, since the computers in the lab are side by side, it is impossible to have groups of 3 or more, which limits group work. Lastly, since you have the lab booked for a limited time, there is virtually no chance to integrate the curriculum.

The defining difference between laptops and a lab is to engage students more, and to make our education more relevant (Vail, 2005). The laptop gives the student a chance to connect with their community and the outside world. Case in point, lets suppose that you are doing a Social Studies lesson on Rome and in particular you want to show your class how they conquered areas and in what order. By having at least a single laptop and a projector, the teacher or student can use a program such as Google Map and pinpoint and show the class the exact size of the Roman Empire and visually show the areas that they conquered and in what order. Thus, giving students a visual by seeing on the screen what they conquered and where the Romans went (Karimi, 2006). This would be a prime example of a teachable moment and the teacher and students would not have to wait for their computer block to do this.

The laptop carts are beginning to replace the traditional computer labs. While there are reasons for keeping the computer labs, I feel that laptops carts are the better way to go. These mobile labs have several benefits over a computer lab: time and space, easier to integrate the curriculum, student led centers and relevance.

References:

Karimi, Sabah. 2006. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/74487/google_earth_in_the_classroom.html

Nair, Prakash. 2007. http://www.designshare.com/Research/Nair/Laptop_Classrooms.html

Stager, Gary. 2003. http://www.stager.org/articles/laptopbookchapter.html

Vail, Mary. 2005. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/20/earlyshow/living/studyhall/main869425.html

I found a journal on the pros of having laptops in the classroom, it could be found here. I am beginning to wrap my head around this and from my experience, I feel laptops are better for students and teachers than a traditional lab.
Also, another resource published in the Vancouver Sun, gives both the pros and cons of using laptops in the classroom.
Another one with is kind of long, but relevant could be found here
This article discusses the connection with students and laptops.
Using Google Map in class?

A possible idea that I am wrestling with for my field study is: How does the use of student created interactive math tutorials affect student achievement in numeracy?

This idea came up from the fact that our school has now stated numeracy as a school goal. Being in a school that is 85% ESL or have an ESL background, I wanted to do something that would make math make sense.  I remember a lecture that Alan November had at SFU Surrey last Spring and he showed some tutorials that students created.  I remember thinking to myself, “that is the coolest math lesson ever.”  I believe he used Jing or Screencast, but I will be exploring these over the next few weeks.

Anyways, its an idea and if you have any advice, comments or resources, your just a click away.

For a possible field study, I was planning on relating technology with numeracy. My plan or idea is to create an on-line/virtual/visual dictionary for math terms and concepts. I believe last year a guest speaker mentioned a site where students would record their voices and do a mini-lesson on a concept. It included the students voices with the visuals that they created. Does anybody recall the site or program that the guest speaker mentioned or have any tips/ideas?

Looks like some of the older professors are trying to ban laptops altogether in their lecture halls and some have been successful at this. While there are distractions of having laptops in lecture halls/classrooms, it boils down to getting professionals to go over expectations and the ground-rules for using technology in the classroom. The new generation of students use technology in every aspect of their lives. By tapping into this resource, educators could change the dynamic of their classrooms and students lives. However, by considering technology to be a threat, like described here then we will continue to not engage students in their own classrooms and education.

Some schools in NY are getting rid of their laptops. Do you agree with what they are doing and WHY or WHY NOT???
Read the link here first: