[Yr7-10it] windfall school tech spending list

[ken price]

I think I'd try for a different approach.

Rather than extend the current model of schools providing computers to
students (an approach that began in the 70s and 80s when most families did
not have a computer, and where schools were the only practical owners of ICT
for education), I think I'd hope for a country where society expects each
student to have their own personal computng device as a future member of
a country with a 21st century economy.

They would NOT have this device given to them by the school, but would own
it themselves in the same way they own a uniform, books etc.  They would own
it and thus have the complete responsibility for ensuring it works, charging
its battery, updating its software, doing what else it needs to keep
functioning,  and carrying it with them. Just as they now do with mobile
phones, which seem to work remarkably well without the assistance of armies
of school IT support staff. And kids in general don't vandalise or corrupt
 their phone, they reserve that activity for things owned by others.

Kids in struggling financial situations would be covered in the same way as
they are now for books etc.

Before people scream in horror at the cost - I bought a name-brand netbook
at Christmas time from a large national chain store for under $300 including
their extended warranty. I think this would last maybe 2 to 3 years in an
educational setting, so that's about $2 to $3 a week. After tax breaks this
drops to a bit over a dollar a week or so.  It's not out of the question for
most families, and for those who find it impossible it's within the realms
of a federal fund to bring in some equity. Well, far more realistic than
giving schools the liability of computers that they have to maintain.

As schools won't own these student-owned computers, they would have no
obligation to allocate resources to repair them. You break, you fix. Works
with mobile phones. In many ways, computers are the last thing schools ought
to own, as they present a management liability. There is a good reason why
fast-food restaurants and coffee shops increasingly provide customers with
broadband but not computers - who'd want to be responsible for maintaining
fleets of computers?

Schools/systems would be funded (and expected) to provide fast wireless
connectivity on site, storage and printing facilites, classroom facilites
(data projectors, etc) and maybe screens and keyboards for cases where
extended use might give rise to OHS issues. It is interesting that most
students find school connectivity to be worse than what they get at home on
even the cheapest broadband plan. Possibly schools would have a small number
of computers for specialised tasks that are beyond the netbook type of
device. And of course they'd distribute educational sofware and provide
online environments to support learning within and outside the school. I
think it goes without saying that they would provide a reason for students
to use their computers as part of their education (if not, there is no
purpose to this discussion).

Theft you say? Ok, microwave ovens used to be THE thing for burglars to
steal. This was because they were expensive and not everyone had one. Now,
no crim would bother with a microwave (car GPS devices are apparently the
big-ticket itme for petty crims now). I literally could not give away a
microwave oven recently - they are now cheap, abundant and hence not worth
stealing. So the theft problem is very likely to decline significantly as
portable computers become more ubiquitous.

The current technical support model could be swung across to support and
enhance infrastructure for learning instead of dealing with break/fix
problems.

Teachers? Maybe they would be given a computing device as part of their
employment. More important though is that employers would require them to be
able to use it as part of their professional practice, as with most other
professions. No ifs, no buts. If we are serious about the importance of ICT
in education (as expounded in the Learning in an online World etc
publications) then how can we accept people opting out of this aspect of
pedagogy? It's as if you get a spinal injury and go to a hospital and see an
MRI machine there, but the doctors tell you they don't believe in them or
don't know how to use it. Yes, this has PD imlpications, but at least the
PD will be better used than it has been in the past 20-odd years, where much
of the PD on ICT use has not reached those who most need it.

Yes, this idea has flaws and woudl require a cultural shift. But cost-wise
it compares pretty well with other alternatives and might shift things
towards a sustainable learning culture which makes better use of ICT to
personalise and support learning, and which moves some of the obligations
off schools and frees them to do what they do best.

Might have some possibilites....

Ken

(TASITE Tasmania)
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