Wireless Laptops in my History Classroom...Six Months Later

an article by Tom Daccord

History Teacher/ Instructional Technology Assistant,
March 13, 2001

Back in September apple i-books were brought into my 9th grade world history classroom to begin a year-long experiment in wireless educational technology. The fifteen freshmen in my class received an i-book laptop each for daily use in their history and english classes. These computers enable users to, among other things, log on to the Web, send e-mail, and print -- all without the use of wires. My role, as a teacher and chair of the history department, has been to integrate I-book technology as efficiently as possible into the world history course and to evaluate its overall impact in the learning process.

It is clear that the ibooks have transformed the way I teach and have changed the dynamics of my classroom. With these computers my students are much more actively involved in the learning process and I rely much less on passive teaching methods. The computers enable my students to assume diverse roles in the learning process and provides them with many more opportunities to research, organize, and present material on their own. The machines help me put students at the center of the learning experience and encourage inquiry, initiative and higher-level thinking in the classroom.

What happens quite regularly now is that my students teach each other. They research, organize and present material with the aid of their machines. I often split the students into four or five groups and each group reports to the class on a specific topic of a web site(s) or CD-ROM they examined. Groups either complete a worksheet tailored to their topic or research the material on their own. In the end they report verbally on what they learned --sometimes formally, sometimes informally--, and then e-mail their findings to the remaining students in the class. They often use Inspiration software to produce easy-to-follow graphic outlines of their work, complete with links to relevant web sites. In all, not only do the students work independently, but they learning how to collaborate effectively with each other as well.

Even my more traditional teaching methods have improved as a result of the computers. For lectures I employ PowerPoint, an easy to operate "slide-show" software, to incorporate images, maps, charts, graphs and even sound bytes into my presentations. Or I can project colorful and interactive maps available on the Net at the click of a mouse. Instead of just handing out homework, I have put the class online, complete with assignments, handouts, chapter outlines and links to useful sites. I can review material with the kids using fun electronic games.

The students are also better organized as a result of the i-books and I see signs that the ibooks are improving their writing as well . The kids don’t lose assignments, first of all, since all work is kept in one networked folder. (About the only exchange of paper involves map assignments.) The students also take much better notes with computers. They type faster than they write, so the kids note more of what I say and are more accurate in the process. The computers also enable the students to edit their work more effectively and more quickly.

The most obvious and important general benefit I see is the general excitement, engagement and focused activity that these machines provoke. On several occasions the bell has rung to end class and not a single student has stopped working . The computer seems to captivate and motivate these students in ways I can only aspire to.

Yet, the positive contributions of the laptops have not come without some pain and frustration. After the first few problem-filled classes my enthusiasm for the experiment had dipped considerably. Laptops are not as reliable as desktops and students were interrupting class regularly to announce (or complain): "I can’t get on the Web!" or "My mouse is stuck" or "My e-mail won’t work". Steve Bergen, our computer coordinator, had decided to sit in on the early classes and was busy going from machine to machine to fix problems. Steven has long since left the classroom, and the kids have developed a "help-thy-neighbor" approach to technology problems, but there are at least a couple of tech glitches to deal with daily.

The ibooks also eat up class time. It takes at least a few minutes at the beginning of each class to pass out the machines (they are brought on a cart), call up the appropriate file or page, and begin the daily lesson. I have to boot up my own machine as well and connect it to a projector. When a machine malfunctions (mine or theirs) the lesson is interrupted and the class can be thrown off its rhythm. For an energetic supporter of computer use in the classroom, these are but minor hurdles on the path to progress. But, for others less enthusiastic,or less trained, these problems might be enough to discourage them from computer use.

The machines are also a considerable distraction. The kids are always tempted to check e-mail, or jump on the web, even when they are supposed to be taking notes. And it is difficult to know exactly what the kids are looking at --unless I stand behind them. (Thus, I make them sit with their backs to me during tests). I am always wondering if they are really taking notes when they are typing so furiously! I circle around the class periodically to check, but they can hide what is on the screen pretty quickly.

Despite these problems, the experiment has been successful enough to warrant an expansion of the program from one laptop history course to four next year. My students will tell you that the ibooks have helped make learning history interesting and enjoyable. In any event, laptop learning seems destined to become become an integral component of education in the near future; teachers and administrators would be wise to learn more of its strenghts and weaknesses.

Tom Daccord