I wanted to write about netbooks since we are assisting a school district in evaluating them. In our process, curriculum drives a decision like this. Sure...netbooks are cheaper, but how long do they last? Do teachers need something bigger? AND netbooks are nothing more then a device that allows web browsing...what instructional value does that bring?
Where I see success for schools, is where they have applications and resources sitting on a centralized server either internally or offsite...in the "cloud". The netbook is used to access that server through a web browser. (Cloud...you may have heard that term, it may be where we are heading??)
IF you want to have media rich applications that require higher utilization, a netbook is not a fit. Netbooks are great for students but teachers require something bigger with more juice.
I want to know what you think. Do you have a netbook and how is it working for you? Thoughts of netbooks in schools?
Some articles on netbooks in education: A Netbook for Every Student & Are netbooks right for education?
I'm not convinced cloud computing is going to take hold like everyone thinks it will. In the next 5 years, technology will have taken us to a whole other level!
ReplyDeleteI think the potential of the netbook in schools lies in when the educational software community starts pushing for touchscreen based applications. Keyboards and touchpads can be counterintuitive to some schoolchildren and I think as things become more "touch" instead of "point and click" we'll see the use of this technology take off.
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