ubiquitous computing evaluation consortium

The first round of discussions begins with this:

Since the early 1990s, school districts across the United States have invested tens of billions of dollars in educational technology. As a result, computers have become an integral part of the learning experience in many elementary and secondary schools.

As more schools integrate 1-to-1 computing into the classroom, it is increasingly important to determine how the devices are used, how ubiquitous computing changes the learning experience, and how teachers integrate available technology into curricula.

--ubiquitous computing evaluation consortium

To answer the questions posed in this introduction, I chose to read the following articles:

Article One:

http://ubiqcomputing.org/Lessons_Learned_Brief.pdf

--The goals of ubiquitous computers are to: reduce economic inequity, raise student achievement through specific interventions and transform the quality of instruction.

--Bette Manchester, who oversees the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, has said, “There needs to be a leadership team that looks at things through three different lenses: the lens of curriculum and content; the lens of the culture of the building; and the lens of technical needs.”

Article Two:

http://ubiqcomputing.org/Apple_1-to-1_Research.pdf

--Teachers who believe that students are capable of completing complex assignments on their own or in collaboration with peers may be more likely to assign extended projects that require laptop use and to allow students to choose the topics for their own research projects. Teachers who view technology as a tool with a wide variety of potential applications are more likely to use laptops often with students. Those teachers who believe that there are adequate software and Internet-based resources available to to help teach their particular content area may use laptops with students more often than teachers who believe that there are simply not enough high-quality materials available.