515+Case+Study-+Netbooks



Twice a week I gather up my class and head over to the computer lab. Here my students will sit at ancient, well 10 years old but by technology standards relic, computers. They sit and plug away at Success Maker for our allowed 50 minutes on Thursdays and 30 minutes on Fridays. Every time we go, I cycle through my list of students having some students sit at a table and read, since there are not enough computers for everyone to use at once. Heaven help us if a computer breaks down, which happens often, or if the wire on the headphones was chewed through (which also happens often), then we have even fewer computers to work with. I sometimes sit in the lab with my students looking around, wishing they could all be doing fun learning activities on the computers at the same time. I think about how much fun it would be for them and for me for us all to be doing a project together on the computer at the same time. But this lab doesn’t lend itself to teaching. The computers are arranged on the perimeter of the room with the students all facing the outer wall and no teacher station to speak of.

One solution to this problem would be to have computers in the classroom for every student. This year that means 25 computers, next year it will mean 30. I’ve seen some of the portable classrooms and let me tell you there is no room for 30 of these relic computers in there! So the solution would be to find smaller computers. A notebook would be nice. They could be used then put away. But notebooks are expensive, starting at around $700. So what is the solution to this problem?

 Why, NETBOOKS of course!

The netbook has evolved with the use of two different technologies. First there's the cell phone. While originally the cell phone was intended for just making phone calls, it has evolved into a mini hand held computer. Cell phones now have the ability to surf the web, check and send e-mails, browse social networking sites and much more. The problem is that they are small, too small to view the content of a whole page. The other, and I think main, technology that netbooks have evolved from are computers. Computers have a very long history going back as far, some would say, to the invention of the abacus in ancient China. For the purposes of this project I didn't go back quite that far, but we are going to start our little journey through computer history way back in 1938.

 I got the information for this timeline form www.computer.org. There is a much more detailed PDF file available that does go all the way back to the invention of the abacus. There is also a cell phone time line available.

So, here's the question, why netbooks? First off, netbooks are the perfect size for small hands. **Screen Size:** Netbook displays are smaller than most laptop screen sizes. Netbook screens start at 8.9" (measured diagonally), with a maximum size of 12.1" on some models. The smaller display makes a netbook compact and easy to carry on the go.

**Weight & Thinness:**  Unlike most laptops, netbooks do not include a built-in DVD/CD drive. This reduces the overall weight and thinness, but you will need to connect an external drive to watch DVD movies or install software via disc.

Second netbooks are affordable. It is completely feasible for schools to buy many, many netbooks for the cost of upgrading out dated computer labs.  
 * Pr****ice:**  Netbooks are available in many different price ranges. On the inexpensive side a netbook can cost as little as $250. With upgrades and different options netbooks can cost as much as a regular lap top.

Net books are as easy to use as a regular computer, having many of the same features.

**Operating System:**  Netbooks are available preloaded with one of two operating systems — the original Windows XP or the recently introduced Windows 7 Starter

<span style="background-color: #fa0f15; color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 195%;">**Capabilities:** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> (Processor, Memory, Hard Drive). Since netbooks are mainly intended for Internet and e-mail use, they do not possess the full feature set of a laptop. Netbooks feature a less powerful processor than laptops and typically have 1GB of system memory. The hard drive space for most netbooks is 160GB or 250GB.

Roland Gesthuizen and the Westall ICT Support Team created this <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Google Doc] to explain the differences between Netbooks and Laptops.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> As with any plan, there are some issues that would need to be addressed. For one, where would the netbooks be kept? Second, how would a teacher charge 30 netbooks? Would they have to be plugged in all the time? Some teachers might be worried about students chatting with other students in the classroom or worse strangers online. Another concern would be that students would share answers or cheat on assignments. These are all valid concerns that need to be addressed.

//Where will the netbooks stored and charged?//

A quick Google search brought me to the [|Bretford Laptop storage cabinet]. This cabinet can store and charge 30 netbooks. It can also be locked for security purposes. If a school cannot afford 30 computers for each class, two or three classrooms can share one cart because the storage cart can easily be rolled from one class to another.

//Would the netbooks have to be plugged in all the time?//

The answer is no. Netbooks come with the option of a 6 cell battery. Some 6 cell batteries can last as long as 6 hours, which is enough for all day classroom usage.

//What about chatting and inappropriate content?//

To address the concern that students will be chatting or accessing inappropriate information, there are two solutions. One, there is a netbook that is specially designed for classroom use in that is has a light on top that flashes if a student is in a chat room or unauthorized websites. Two, there are programs that make it possible for a teacher to monitor everything that her students are doing from a teacher station. This way if a student is on an unauthorized website a teacher can see that and tell the student. Also I think that it is worthy to mention that school netbooks will still be on school networks, meaning that any sites that are blocked on school computers by system administrators will also be blocked on the netbooks.

//What about sharing answers or cheating?//

This concern needs to be address not because it is a problem posed by the netbooks, but rather a problem created by outdated thinking. So what if students share answers?! The idea of using the netbooks for online collaboration, and student contributions is what makes the whole thing exciting! The days of do your own work, don’t talk, don’t look at anyone else should be banished from the classroom! Student who work together are more engaged in the material that they are learning. Students who teach others will in turn learn. That’s the way that classrooms should be run.

Netbooks are definitely the way to go in classrooms. They are small and the perfect size for children, they offer students the chance to use collaborative learning, and they prepare children for a future in which they will have to know how to operate a computer or be left in the dust. Not only will netbooks be an essential classroom tool to keep students engaged in lessons but they will also be an essential tool to help children learn the basic skills of keyboarding, web searches and other skills required for computer use.



<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">How will teachers use Netbooks in the Classroom? Netbooks can be an invaluable tool in the classroom. The possibilities are endless when it comes to finding uses for them. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">These are just a few ideas! With just a little bit of work and creativity, teachers can come up with so many innovative and engaging ways to use netbooks in the classroom.
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">The most basic of these uses would be typing. Students, especially the young students are not taught typing at an early age. This makes it harder for them to learn when they are older. If students start learning how to type in kindergarten and first grade they will come into the upper grades with a very important skill.
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">Another skill that can be taught using netbooks is internet research. It is very important for students to know where and how they can find information on the internet. They can also learn how to be cautious about the information that they are collecting and the sources that they trust.
 * 3) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">Netbooks can be used to create just about anything. From poetry, to spelling word lists to written reports. If it can be done on paper it can be done on a netbook.
 * 4) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">Teachers can arrange for students to talk to other students in differnt parts of the country and even the world. Students can share with their web pals about their home town or area while learning about another student's home town or area.
 * 5) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">If a student is ill and going to miss several day of class the teacher can lend them a netbook so that they can keep up with class activities online.
 * 6) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">If students are visual learners, it is easy for a teacher to find visual representations of concepts.
 * 7) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">Many students are hands on learners. Netbooks are perfect for hands on learning. What better way to learn to type then to punch keys on a keyboard and see what happens?



<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;"> On Best Buy’s website you can [|compare features and pricing] on several different netbook. You can also compare laptops to Netbooks at this same site.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">The following are show notes for the Soft Reset podcast taken from the [|Learning in Hand] website: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">[|Soft Reset #20 Netbooks in Fort Smith Podcast]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">These Fort Smith teachers are all using class sets of Eee PC 1000HAs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Their netbooks have 6-cell batteries, which last for an entire school day.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Instead of purchasing Microsoft Office, they are using [|OpenOffice], free software.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Besides OpenOffice, a Web browser was the most used application by students.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Third graders had to pass tests about Internet safety and copyright before using the netbooks.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">It's useful to have all students face their desks in the same direction so the teacher can see everyone's computer screens at once.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Headphones get all tangled when stored each day. One teacher finally placed numbered hooks on the wall, one for each headset. No more tangles!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Where the netbooks are being used by more than one student it is help to create a Windows XP account for each of those students.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">The greatest challenge for these teachers is managing a classroom with so many different computer skill levels.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">If your school cannot afford to purchase netbooks on a 1:1 basis for students, this teacher has created a [|slide show] with ideas for using netbooks in the classroom when you don't have enough for 1:1.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">The non-profit One Laptop per Child Project is a project focused on providing students in developing nations with laptops. The XO laptop which they use was a forerunner to the netbooks that we now use. They were designed small so that they would not use a lot of power in areas where there might not be electricity to charge them. They also come with various options for charging including a crank and solar energy. The XO is built tough so that they don't break down, because they are, after all, intended for children. media type="custom" key="5792875" align="left" media type="custom" key="5792891" align="right" media type="custom" key="5792885" align="center"

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