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Robinson eighth-graders selected to test netbooks
Photo courtesy of Plano ISD
By Kim Nguyen, knguyen@acnpapers.com
As part of a pilot program to study the effectiveness of using wireless technology in the classroom, Plano ISD issued netbooks to Robinson Middle School's 350 eighth-graders in November.
"We have been looking for different ways to use wireless devices in our classrooms; the netbooks just happened to come along as our first opportunity," said Mary Hewett, executive director of the district's instructional technology department.
Netbooks are a category of mini-notebooks or ultraportable laptops that are small, light and inexpensive; they are suited for general computing and accessing Web-based applications. The netbook project at Robinson will be used to gain insight into how to make the best use of the district-wide wireless network installed last year at all schools and to learn from students and teachers how the netbooks can help improve learning.
The netbooks have been programmed with access to personal directories at home and at school. The students simply click on a desktop icon that links them to myPISD.net, the district's network for students and staff. Instead of having to worry about transporting files between school and home, the students can save to the desktops of the netbook and copy files back and forth to their personal drives at home. The students can also print documents to most of the printers at the school.
Additionally, Hewett said that netbooks use "open source" software for the students to use, including word processing and spreadsheet-making applications. Safari Media Player is available for viewing the district's vast streamed video resources online. Where some parents may be wary of a student with the entire Internet realm at their fingertips during class, Hewett said the district has long had filters to prevent irrelevant surfing.
"The district has a filter on Internet access based on school levels," she said. "Elementary school level computers have a very limited filter, middle schools have fewer restrictions, and the high school/senior high school levels have more access because of more demands in their curriculum."
The wireless capabilities of the netbooks and connection to the district programs also allow students the opportunity to keep up with schoolwork when absent from school. The recent snow day was the perfect scenario, as students were still able to work on assignments. Integrating electronics into the classroom is also beneficial to the teachers' workday because they no longer have to make paper copies for everyday assignments, nor do they have to send students to the school's computer lab to work on electronic assignments. Hewett said the netbooks have been used in collaborative journal entries and shared learning activities.
"Things have changed in the way some instruction is done in the classroom," she said. "With this program, the students are learning the same curriculum, but using a device to help them. We want to help the students find new and unique ways to learn and understand their work and excel."
Robinson principal Billie Jean Lee said the students have embraced the new avenue of learning and seem very motivated.
"I've seen kids that are highly engaged in the learning," she said. "They seem more excited about it because it involves technology, which plays a huge role in their lives inside and outside of school."
And because of the increased motivation to be engaged in class work, Lee can attribute an improvement in grades to the netbook project.
"There has definitely been an improvement in grades because the students are responding more to the curriculum," she said. "The work probably seems easier to them because, considering how prevalent technology is, they are working with something familiar."
Lee said Robinson teachers and district curriculum developers in creating new ways to present the material.
"The staff has been collaborating and implementing new lessons that include technology," she said. "They are also very excited about the netbooks."
Students use the netbooks in a variety of different ways in each of the core subjects, including charting results in science class and engaging in writing assignments in English. Neither Hewett nor Lee said they have heard any negative feedback regarding the netbook project.
"Parents have had an overwhelmingly positive attitude about this," Hewett said.
In the event that the netbooks are lost, damaged or vandalized, Robinson parents are held responsible for repairs or replacement. There is no obligation from the parents in the case of a stolen netbook. So far, no netbooks have had to be replaced during this pilot project; damaged computer screens and lost battery packs have been the most common problems. The Robinson eighth-graders will finish out the school year with the netbooks, and at the end of the year, students, teachers and parents will be asked to provide input on the program's effectiveness.
"We want to find out from everyone involved what the value of the netbooks are (in terms of intangible benefits), the successes and ways we could improve student learning using devices," Hewett said.
But the success of the pilot program does not necessarily mean that all students across the district will be assigned a netbook in the coming years, Hewett said.
"Wireless devices are not limited to netbooks; they could be iPods, laptops, smart phones or any other portable electronic device," she said. "As of now, there are no intentions to go district-wide with the netbook project."
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