I currently teach at a high school that struggles to meet the technology needs of its students. We have some 1 200 students and a fully functioning lab of approximately 30 desktops. I don’t deny that we do have more computers; we have available for use one C.O.W (a set of laptops in a mobile cart known as ‘computers on wheels’), and a second dedicated desktop lab which is not operational at the moment, but these labs are pretty ineffective.
The mobility of the laptop lab is very alluring. It provides the opportunity to move the class to various locations, including the learning commons which is currently being developed in our school. The problem, however, is that this set of laptops is very frustrating to use. It can take up to 15 minutes to log on to the server, if the students can log on at all. Once logged on, the students find the system itself poorly configured and processing slow. Add to this glitchy Wi-Fi, and it is easy to understand why the students groan when you tell them that you have finally managed to book what they refer to as the ‘Craptops’.
Put simply, if you can get a lab booked, the learning goal that you are wanting to achieve through use of this technology, has to be limited. As a teacher, you can not guarantee successful connectivity, operating systems that can support the application you want students to run or additional lab time should you need students to finish assigned work. Needless to say, successfully employing technology to achieve a learning outcome can be very frustrating in this current environment.
Not disruptive, but definitely needed, are more computers. If this issue was addressed, it would allow teachers wishing to blend technology into their classes a greater opportunity to do so and in an effective and efficient manner.
As it is a purchasing decision relating to components within an existing program, an Autonomous team would be required to source, purchase and install an infrastructural item within the school. The question is, however, should it be an autonomous team that installs the operational system that allows the new technology to be shared and managed? A Lightweight team would take on this function. The Lightweight team would operate with a manager leading the team to ensure that there is organization between departments, or as in the case with my school, the teachers wishing to employ the technology. The manager’s primary role, therefore, would be to organize and to distribute the new technology.
The purchase of new technology feels like it should be a swipe of the pen, but sadly, it is not. Here, at my school, there is not sufficient budget for the purchase of new computers. This creates a whole new set of potential problems. As such, teachers have to investigate other opportunities to bring technology into their classrooms. I have tried BYOD, a program where students bring their own devices in for use in the classroom. I know other teachers have looked to the flipped model of blended learning as a tool to solve the lack of technology. Regardless of how teachers try to integrate blending, each scenario has different considerations and therefore a different team structure is required to manage the program. However, so long as teachers continue to work toward creating valuable learning experiences, students will be provided opportunities to engage with new concepts.
The mobility of the laptop lab is very alluring. It provides the opportunity to move the class to various locations, including the learning commons which is currently being developed in our school. The problem, however, is that this set of laptops is very frustrating to use. It can take up to 15 minutes to log on to the server, if the students can log on at all. Once logged on, the students find the system itself poorly configured and processing slow. Add to this glitchy Wi-Fi, and it is easy to understand why the students groan when you tell them that you have finally managed to book what they refer to as the ‘Craptops’.
Put simply, if you can get a lab booked, the learning goal that you are wanting to achieve through use of this technology, has to be limited. As a teacher, you can not guarantee successful connectivity, operating systems that can support the application you want students to run or additional lab time should you need students to finish assigned work. Needless to say, successfully employing technology to achieve a learning outcome can be very frustrating in this current environment.
Not disruptive, but definitely needed, are more computers. If this issue was addressed, it would allow teachers wishing to blend technology into their classes a greater opportunity to do so and in an effective and efficient manner.
As it is a purchasing decision relating to components within an existing program, an Autonomous team would be required to source, purchase and install an infrastructural item within the school. The question is, however, should it be an autonomous team that installs the operational system that allows the new technology to be shared and managed? A Lightweight team would take on this function. The Lightweight team would operate with a manager leading the team to ensure that there is organization between departments, or as in the case with my school, the teachers wishing to employ the technology. The manager’s primary role, therefore, would be to organize and to distribute the new technology.
The purchase of new technology feels like it should be a swipe of the pen, but sadly, it is not. Here, at my school, there is not sufficient budget for the purchase of new computers. This creates a whole new set of potential problems. As such, teachers have to investigate other opportunities to bring technology into their classrooms. I have tried BYOD, a program where students bring their own devices in for use in the classroom. I know other teachers have looked to the flipped model of blended learning as a tool to solve the lack of technology. Regardless of how teachers try to integrate blending, each scenario has different considerations and therefore a different team structure is required to manage the program. However, so long as teachers continue to work toward creating valuable learning experiences, students will be provided opportunities to engage with new concepts.
Resources
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools [Kindle Digital Edition]. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools [Kindle Digital Edition]. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/