We read all the time about how cost is one of the disincentives to technology in schools, and certainly I don’t know if my current experience is anywhere near what does or would usually be the case, but I left this as a comment on Tom Hoffman’s blog and thought it was worth posting here too:
“My 1:1 laptop pilot is going pretty well so far with old Apple iBooks – 7 years old – we use Appleworks because it “came with” and iPhoto and iMovie and web browsers and Flickr and blogs and wikis and all kinds of free math and language and science software – haven’t paid for anything but new batteries – once (AND I’m rolling this class to fifth grade and plan on using them for an eighth year). I don’t know if laptops will usually last this long – they aren’t the latest and greatest and the screen resolution isn’t fantastic – but I haven’t found anything I wanted to do yet that they won’t do (I expected that to happen by the way – “sorry guys we can’t use Fun Brain, the computers are too old” but that hasn’t happened yet. We paid over $1600 per originally so we’re down to almost $200 per year per computer, but the price has dropped close to half and current computers have more power etc.
Maybe it depends on what you want to do with them??? But so far we’ve done everything we wanted to. I do have to use a newer computer when we video Skype, but how often would you need more than one computer doing that in your classroom at the same time? Not that I would necessarily start a 1:1 laptop program in Kindergarten – but 7 years means our current 6th graders (I’m in 4th) could have received these laptops in K and still be using them today as they leave sixth grade.”
So … how far offbase is my experience?
I think the only question is how much more wear and tear would they receive if the kids were taking them home every day.
Chris – Yes – I thought of that after I posted – and I did forget that we spent $1.200 (total) upgrading them to 10.3 (Panther). Actually, I probably could get permission to send them home, but few of my students have internet at home – still they could do more of their writing at home – but I’m not sure it is worth it. Maybe sending them home for elementary students isn’t as big a thing? I do know that having them available at any time at school is great. Some days we use them almost all day and sometimes only an hour or so – usually in between – I’d guess on average 2.5 to 3 hours out of a 6 hour day.
Another thought – kids that DO have internet at home probably have a computer there too (probably??? how many people have a connection but no computer) so maybe getting a home connection and cheap desktop at home to go along with the laptop would actually be a good idea, send files home via email or zip drive and blogs and wikis and such aren’t based on the computer so access at home would be easy – because I’m sure you’re right Chris, possibly MOST wear and tear and loss is caused during transport.
Brian