Comments on: Laptops for all children? http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/2009/10/21/laptops-for-all-children/ “I'm conservative, but I'm not a nut about it.” (George HW Bush – US President 1988-1992) Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:49:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sarastro http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/2009/10/21/laptops-for-all-children/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Sarastro Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:04:45 +0000 http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/?p=40#comment-43 Hmm. Not convinced that laptops for children is even remotely right. Over the years, since PCs became more and more common, what have we seen? In tandem, a rapid fall in grammar, spelling and mathematical standards, plus a rapid replacement of research with Google. Teaching aids - or teachers' crutches? Take laptops out of schools, and make teachers teach again. When children have learned how to spell, how to conduct research, how maths works - then let them have laptops. Hmm. Not convinced that laptops for children is even remotely right. Over the years, since PCs became more and more common, what have we seen? In tandem, a rapid fall in grammar, spelling and mathematical standards, plus a rapid replacement of research with Google.

Teaching aids – or teachers’ crutches?

Take laptops out of schools, and make teachers teach again. When children have learned how to spell, how to conduct research, how maths works – then let them have laptops.

]]> By: MH http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/2009/10/21/laptops-for-all-children/comment-page-1/#comment-30 MH Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:56:01 +0000 http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/?p=40#comment-30 As I've written on <a href="http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2009/10/uruguay-1-wales-0.html" rel="nofollow">Syniadau</a>, Jonathan, I'm rather sad that we in Wales are only going to get a pilot rather than roll out a full scheme. But in response to what you've written, I would focus on one thing. The indispensible part of the scheme is that <b>every</b> child (in any year group) must have a laptop for it to work. If you target resources on just the poorest, you might well increase the number of children who have laptops, but that is not the same thing as making sure that every child has one. It is probably also important that every child has the same equipment, since different types of machines and operating systems all work differently. Universal entitlement is the key. If you start means testing which parents can or cannot afford to pay you introduce an unnecessary layer with an unnecessary cost. Better that every child gets exactly the same, irrespective of wealth. - But turning to the specifics of the pilot scheme, it is obviously right that we pilot it in more deprived areas. <a href="http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/drnewhomepage/educationdrs2/educationdrs2009/3446147/?lang=en" rel="nofollow">This announcement</a> says that the Welsh government: "will focus on final year pupils in primary schools from the Flying Start and/or Communities First areas." That's a no-brainer, of course. I'm only sad that it has taken this long to get round to thinking about it (the pilot areas have still not been identified) when we could already be doing it. As I’ve written on Syniadau, Jonathan, I’m rather sad that we in Wales are only going to get a pilot rather than roll out a full scheme. But in response to what you’ve written, I would focus on one thing.

The indispensible part of the scheme is that every child (in any year group) must have a laptop for it to work. If you target resources on just the poorest, you might well increase the number of children who have laptops, but that is not the same thing as making sure that every child has one. It is probably also important that every child has the same equipment, since different types of machines and operating systems all work differently.

Universal entitlement is the key. If you start means testing which parents can or cannot afford to pay you introduce an unnecessary layer with an unnecessary cost. Better that every child gets exactly the same, irrespective of wealth.

-

But turning to the specifics of the pilot scheme, it is obviously right that we pilot it in more deprived areas. This announcement says that the Welsh government:

“will focus on final year pupils in primary schools from the Flying Start and/or Communities First areas.”

That’s a no-brainer, of course. I’m only sad that it has taken this long to get round to thinking about it (the pilot areas have still not been identified) when we could already be doing it.

]]> By: valleysmam http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/2009/10/21/laptops-for-all-children/comment-page-1/#comment-27 valleysmam Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:51:22 +0000 http://blog.jonathanmorganam.com/?p=40#comment-27 I think the CF programme needs a complete revamp. It was ruined by Edwina Hart as usual not listening to good advice on the way to roll it out and has never got back on track I agree about giving lap tops to those who would benefit most, however it would also need some parental education to understand the need for a more “learning " environment for their children. This is not always the case in some homes. Children need aids to learn, but they also need a space, time and quiet to do so too. Targeting CF money to most need would be great and may be more of it would reach the end users and not get slurped up in admin and overheads I think the CF programme needs a complete revamp. It was ruined by Edwina Hart as usual not listening to good advice on the way to roll it out and has never got back on track
I agree about giving lap tops to those who would benefit most, however it would also need some parental education to understand the need for a more “learning ” environment for their children. This is not always the case in some homes. Children need aids to learn, but they also need a space, time and quiet to do so too.
Targeting CF money to most need would be great and may be more of it would reach the end users and not get slurped up in admin and overheads

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