Comments on: Could a laptop be an albatross around your neck? http://www.e4africa.co.za/?p=271 Documenting the challenges of implemening ICT in schools in South Africa. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:28:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kathy http://www.e4africa.co.za/?p=271&cpage=1#comment-53 Kathy Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:18:37 +0000 http://www.e4africa.co.za/?p=271#comment-53 Good analogy of an albatross. But lots of practical issues to consider in order to keep this bird in the air. Last Friday I worked with a bunch of teachers who have all been given laptops. After a few questions I realised we have so many practical steps to cover.... All need to download free antivirus software - but obviously need internet connections for initial download and updates. Lots of basic questions to answer and practical help needed... some afraid to ask... One thing I learnt was that it would be tremendously useful for these teachers to have two or three standalone printers around the school - many were frustrated by the demand placed on the school's network printer and its geographical inaccessibility. They wanted to be able to plug in and print, where they are sitting and working on their lovely new laptops. As a teacher myself, I understand this need and I think that a smallish expense like this (not forgetting cost of ink) will significantly raise the level of usage by teachers in this particular school. Good analogy of an albatross. But lots of practical issues to consider in order to keep this bird in the air. Last Friday I worked with a bunch of teachers who have all been given laptops. After a few questions I realised we have so many practical steps to cover…. All need to download free antivirus software – but obviously need internet connections for initial download and updates. Lots of basic questions to answer and practical help needed… some afraid to ask…

One thing I learnt was that it would be tremendously useful for these teachers to have two or three standalone printers around the school – many were frustrated by the demand placed on the school’s network printer and its geographical inaccessibility. They wanted to be able to plug in and print, where they are sitting and working on their lovely new laptops. As a teacher myself, I understand this need and I think that a smallish expense like this (not forgetting cost of ink) will significantly raise the level of usage by teachers in this particular school.

]]> By: Dan http://www.e4africa.co.za/?p=271&cpage=1#comment-52 Dan Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:18:16 +0000 http://www.e4africa.co.za/?p=271#comment-52 My employer provided many of us with pagers 10 years ago. It was a way to get in touch with us to fulfill the employer's need. We were told it was NOT for personal use. As a result, the many costs of acquisition, connectivity and learning how to use it were ill spent. Most soon sat in drawers or had dead batteries. "Child Safety" means that great tools like laptops are often conservatively managed. Not only do we block material certainly harmful to children, but we block grey area materials as well, as well as web based email, social networking, etc. Employers retain the "rights" to anything we create while using "their" technology. Like the pagers, we all lose the benefits of teachers having laptops because we don't encourage teachers to become proficient and knowledgeable at things we are afraid to understand. Technology has a life. In 2-3 years that laptop SHOULD be beat up, somewhat broken, and ready to be replaced. I don't want a 4-5 year old laptop, even if it is in perfect condition. I try to encourage teachers to learn everything they can about the technology, and rather than spending resources on some of the protective measures, I budget for what will inevitably be the consequences of not having them in place - a laptop dropped off the bleachers at a swim meet, another stolen from a car. Fortunately, because the teachers feel ownership and it is important to them, there are actually fewer accidents because they don't want to face the times without. And, hopefully, they are more knowledgeable about the technology they have in their hands, and can translate that to their classrooms. My employer provided many of us with pagers 10 years ago. It was a way to get in touch with us to fulfill the employer’s need. We were told it was NOT for personal use. As a result, the many costs of acquisition, connectivity and learning how to use it were ill spent. Most soon sat in drawers or had dead batteries.
“Child Safety” means that great tools like laptops are often conservatively managed. Not only do we block material certainly harmful to children, but we block grey area materials as well, as well as web based email, social networking, etc. Employers retain the “rights” to anything we create while using “their” technology. Like the pagers, we all lose the benefits of teachers having laptops because we don’t encourage teachers to become proficient and knowledgeable at things we are afraid to understand.
Technology has a life. In 2-3 years that laptop SHOULD be beat up, somewhat broken, and ready to be replaced. I don’t want a 4-5 year old laptop, even if it is in perfect condition.
I try to encourage teachers to learn everything they can about the technology, and rather than spending resources on some of the protective measures, I budget for what will inevitably be the consequences of not having them in place – a laptop dropped off the bleachers at a swim meet, another stolen from a car. Fortunately, because the teachers feel ownership and it is important to them, there are actually fewer accidents because they don’t want to face the times without. And, hopefully, they are more knowledgeable about the technology they have in their hands, and can translate that to their classrooms.

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