Learning and Leading - August 2009

By Brian Bouterse, Jenifer O. Corn, and Elizabeth O. Halstead

Choosing the Perfect Tools for One-to

F rom one-to-one learning initiatives to laptop carts, schools all over the country are using portable computing models to achieve flexible technology access. To maximize learning and engagement at a sustainable cost selecting the appropriate computing device is of utmost importance to best meet the needs of your teachers and students. After all, a device that is not compatible with the current or future technological infrastructure could mean disaster for an ed tech initiative. This article focuses on selecting the appropriate portable computing devices for a school- or district-level one-to-one learning initiative.

As you plan a one-to-one initiative, carefully consider both the implementation strategies (hardware/software, technical infrastructure, professional development) and project outcomes (changes in teaching and learning) that best meet the needs of your students, staff, and community. The questions considered here focus primarily on the hardware and software options—important decisions when implementing any tech initiative.

Thick, Ultraportable, and Thin

Today, devices fall into these three categories. Thick devices are traditional computers or laptops running traditional operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. Ultraportable devices use a local operating system and productivity software, but they lack the resources to handle installation of applications or educational content locally. Ultraportables can be divided into two groups: those that support Windows and those that don’t. Thin devices are computers that cannot be used unless connected to a network, and they are not portable. Their lack of por-tability is fine for a traditional computer lab but a poor fit for portable one-to-one learning initiatives. In the future, as thin devices become portable and wireless network access is increasingly ubiquitous, the debate surrounding these devices may change.

Selecting Appropriate Devices

To successfully plan and implement a portable, technolo-gy-enhanced learning environment, schools and districts should consider six critical questions related to purpose, operating system, applications, content, peripheral equipment, and robustness. (See questions below.)

Careful consideration and thorough discussions with your technology planning team around each of these six critical questions will provide important information needed to select the most appropriate portable computing device for your particular learning context. Use the following list of questions and the matrix titled 6 Critical Questions for Comparing Ultraportable and Thick Devices on page 16 to guide your decision-making process.

Purpose. Will the computing device be used for a single purpose (word processing or graphing) or as a multipurpose machine ready to accept new software, content, or Internet capability? Single-purpose devices, such as the AlphaSmart or Texas Instruments (TI) graphing calculators, are inexpensive and easy to maintain but can only support specific word processing or graphing programs. Especially in the lower grades, consider if devices such as Neo2 by AlphaSmart or the TI graphing calculator and Navigator system can satisfy your curriculum needs. If not, then look for multipurpose devices such as ultraportable or thick devices. If your school is planning to emphasize the use of computing devices in your math or science courses, consider a tablet because of the ease of writing equations and scientific notation compared to using a traditional keyboard.

Operating systems. What operating system (OS) do you have the resources to support (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)? OS support includes managing computer configurations, content, and applications, as well as readying a computer for the next student at the end of the semester. Consider which system your technology facilitators and technicians

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