Journal Two

McFarlane, Sarah H. (2008). The laptops are coming! The laptops are coming!. Rethinking Schools Online, 22, Retrieved 07 18, 2008, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml

This article takes a first-hand look at the implications using technology daily in the classroom. At the school where Sarah Heller McFarlane, the author the article, teaches laptop computers were given to each student. To McFarlane this seemed like a wonderful idea in the beginning, believed that these laptops would be able to bridge the digital divide. However after a year of laptops in the classroom, she changed her mind. Through her experience she learned that the laptops disconnected the students from one another, forced her to police her students, created more division between the faculty members, and overall caused distractions within the classroom.
1. Were the laptops furnished to all grade levels at this school?
It seems that providing 1st graders with laptops would not be a very successful way of teaching the basic fundamentals of education. Students at that level need more hands on experiences, group work, etc.
2. Because of the reasons McFarlane listed, should computers be removed entirely from each child?
I think that computers should be in the classrooms, but maybe not given to each student at all times of the day. Maybe having something like a roaming computer lab (with laptops rather than desktops) would be more beneficial because it would not be as much of a distraction for the students.