Netbook Pilot Project - Improves Learning

Points about the netbook pilot project:

In April 2009 our school received 17 netbooks as part of a pilot project. The netbooks are being used with different classes from grades 7 to grade 12. 

I used the class set of netbooks yesterday with a grade 7 class. It was very successful as the students were very engaged. The feedback from the staff has been very good. Security is an issue. Presently the netbooks are being booked out of the school library. 

To make best use of them you need a good wireless connection - that can support all the netbooks at the same time.

I am still looking into a netbook cart (they are expensive $2000+ US) which can be wheeled into any classroom, but I may get a carry unit which would hold 5 netbooks. These carry units then would allow the netbooks to be split up among different classes. 

I installed the following software (all are free) on each netbook.

• Open Office (like MS office)
• Audacity (for making podcasts)
• Photo Story (making multimedia presentations)
• Google Earth

I am encouraging students to use Google Apps Education Edition (our school is registered- for free) for their word processing, spreadsheet work and save their files in the "cloud". See more about Google Apps from my non-profit web site (connectingeducation.com ). The model of cloud computing and portability fits in with the 2009 Horizon Report

Part of the pilot project is to write curriculum to be used with the netbooks. This curriculum will be written over the next year.

Why I picked netbooks instead of laptops:

Netbooks are cheaper than laptops (at least 33 % less).Netbooks are more portable (about 1 KG each) which mean they  easier to  move around the school. They tend to be tougher than lap tops (eg. if they are dropped) and they also use less electricity. If they are signed out to be taken home. they are small enough to fit into a student's purse.

Reasons for the Acer one (10 inch) for this project (about $ $360 US)

• price about 25% less than other vender's netbooks (with 6 cell battery)
  
• six cell battery - which means the netbook only has to be recharged once a day (about 6 hours between charges) - a three cell battery will limit the number of classes that can use the netbook per day- I only seem to get about 4 hours out of mine though...
  
• Acer One is currently the most popular netbook
  
• physically a tough unit
  
• automatic restore software - (restore computer to factory setting quickly - special software is included

From PC Magazine

Acer Aspire One (10-inch)

REVIEW DATE:  02.09.09

BOTTOM LINE:

Acer proves that it's still the master of the netbook recession special with the new and improved Aspire One (10-inch).

PROS:

Phenomenal battery life. Six-cell battery is standard with the price. Still the most affordable netbook around. Ten-inch widescreen and mouse buttons are consistent with everyone else's.

Blending Learning and Technology

As someone who instructs teachers (grades 7-12) on implementing new technologies into the classroom and has presented at numerous conferences on this subject - I have found that blended learning (process of incorporating many different learning styles) works better than traditional methods of teaching if teachers are given proper support - especially curriculum support. Also,  students are much more engaged when they are learning and using 21 century tools (such as podcasting, wikis, Photo Story etc.).

The interesting thing is that teachers actually do not have to know how to use these technologies - they only have to know what these technologies can do. This concept takes the pressure off teachers to learn these skills.

It is up to students to learn new technologies on their own by watching on-line video tutorials and searching the Internet. For example search “tutorial podcast” on Youtube.com and you get dozens of tutorials - many using Audacity which is free. Below is the tutorial we use with students - (most of the teachers who assign podcasts do not know how to create them)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgD6cVv9QU

The video below is from a teacher who actually did not know how to use the technology she assigned - Her students taught themselves how to create a wiki, do podcasts and use Microsoft’s PhotoStory. The assignment they used is posted on connectingeducation.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fGsgYpLgrs

We have also started to implement Google Apps (education edition). This product is a huge success - it makes learning more efficient and uses the same tools as in business for collaboration. Students need very little instruction on how to use it - because the look and feel of Google Apps is the same as the email - chat - calendar applications they use in their personal lifes. Below are a couple of students discussing its use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miYvAh09M_M

All the technologies we assign to students are available for free - so students can work on them at home for no cost.

Netbooks / Google Apps Pilot Project (portable computer lab)

Our school was chosen to pilot a project using 20 Netbooks (cost less $400 each). A netbook cart and wireless (wireless works off the cart).

Students will be using Google Apps (cloud computing), which we implemented in Feb. 2008 ( read more) . Google Apps will allow students to save all their documents in the "cloud".

So now instead of teachers booking a computer lab - the computer lab can be moved into their classroom. This is also a much cheaper solution than traditional computer labs.
The netbook (like a mini laptop) we choose is the Acer One 10 inch with 6 cell battery. It has a 7 hour battery life so the netbooks only half to be charged once a day.

I will be giving feedback on this project on this blog as it gets going.

Does anyone else have similar experiences with portable computer labs ???? I like to here about it.