Cheap Computers in My Classroom? 43
richeddy asks: "I am going to start teaching elementary school in the near future. As a new teacher, I have the crazy idea that I might be able to actually teach my students a few things that other teachers just don't seem to be able to teach. This involves teaching methods that might be a bit unconventional. To this end, I am interested in building and installing a network of classroom computers that the students can use in real-world ways. That's right, no glorified flash cards in my classroom! I want my students using computers for research, presentations, writing, data collection and analysis, etc. In order to do this, I am going to have to personally foot the bill for the hardware and software. So I am looking for suggestions on what direction to go. I figure that I will need 5-7 computers to accomplish my vision, and I can't imagine paying for Windows and Windows apps. It looks like my only real option is to build the systems myself, which isn't a problem. Any ideas? Suggestions? Comments?"
Cheapest way is lindows (Score:2, Insightful)
You're taking a big chance (Score:5, Insightful)
I know you're asking about the computers and not your style of teaching, but I'd like to put my two cents in for what it's worth. I don't know what this school you are going to teach at is like but many institutions are scared of change. By starting off right away and using, as you put it, unconventional teaching methods, you run the risk of irking the powers that be in the school. Since you are new, you haven't given them any reason to trust your instincts or abilities. Perhaps after a few years of proving yourself as a competant, exciting teacher they may be more receptive to your quirky ideas.
I want my students using computers for research, presentations, writing, data collection and analysis, etc.
I'm not sure what you have in mind, but I am wondering how many elementary school students are going to be ability to demonstrate the skills you list above. Again, you run the risk of other, more established teachers telling you to cool off and take a few years to get acquainted with the abilities of a typical elementary school child.
I admire your dedication to your field and, although I am usually a strong opponent of computers in the classroom, your approach sounds interesting (I, too, am against glorified flashcards). I just want you to realize that you are taking a fairly big chance with your career by following unconventional teaching approaches right away. It works out nicely in the movies but the powers that resist change in the real world tend to be much more formidable then their cinematic counterparts.
Good luck,
GMD
Rig up an overfgloriified client server rig (Score:2, Insightful)
You then could set up every machine to get all files every night and then give each child a account on the main machine, so when the machines update themselves they will all have the same accounts. You could do this with all the configuration.
THought you did say elementary school and this all would be a lost cause if the kids are too young. Before a certain age the os doesn't really matter.
I think this is a good idea and could be used in the future for computer based testing etc
Hardware isn't the problem. (Score:5, Insightful)
You may be able to get somewhere by having the kids visit some of the children-topical websites that are up. As for their making presentations, and doing coursework online... I think you'll run into problems.
I strongly suggest that before embarking on this ambitious project you get ONE computer, and try to set it up so it'll be capable of everything you want. That way you won't wind up with kids working around the big, useless boxes sitting on their desks.
You're new at this, aren't you? (Score:5, Insightful)
Second, you are going to be too busy the first year to muck about with computers for the classroom. If not, you're probably doing a disservice to the kids. (OTOH, if you get it going in the summer so that all you have to do is wheel them in...)
Are you going to support them? On a teacher's salary? How long until junior wants to see if the class goldfish can live in the CD rom drive? If not, do you have any idea how bad the odds are that someone who works IT for your school will have a clue? Again, good luck.
If you really have new, useful ideas, you could probably do more good sharing them with other teachers, not testing them on some unwitting students. If what you are thinking truly is new (and see my first comment: it probably isn't) you could qualify for some grant money. At this point, getting the okay from your principal is very important.
Finally, I strongly urge you to read High Tech Heretic [amazon.com]. Even if you disagree with his conclusions, you should at least be able to argue against them intelligently.
Your crazy idea might be just that.... (Score:4, Insightful)
He went to a local community college, then transferred to the state university and eventually ended up becoming a very rell-regarded biochemist.
You don't need to go to an elite school or have access to lots of high tech gadgetry to learn. Make it your goal to have your fifth graders reading at a 10th grade level and you'll be doing them a far more valuable service.
Don't be a dumbass (Score:1, Insightful)
My 2 cents of advice (Score:2, Insightful)
As a new teacher, you have no idea what you're in for. I'm not saying this to be mean. I'm not saying it because I get a kick out of scaring soon-to-be teachers. I'm saying this because it's the truth. Teaching is wonderful, but very rarely a Dead Poets Society vision of inspiration, especially with elementary school students who have a hard enough time with long division. My advice to you is to wait a year before trying anything experimental. Establish yourself at the school. Make nice with the other teachers, especially those teaching the same grade as you. Get in there, and just experience what it's like to be a classroom teacher. You might decide that there just aren't enough hours in the day for your set curriculum, much less additional computer lessons. Depending on what grade you'll be teaching, you might realize that computer-based presentations and data analysis might actually be somewhat over the heads of your average elementary school students.
Once you've been in there for a little while, if you still feel that computers in the classroom is something that you want to do, you will probably need to talk to your school's principal, and maybe even your local school board. This is where your fellow grade level teachers will come in handy - see if you can all get together and do something as a unified grade level. It's one thing if one newbie teacher wants to do computer stuff. It's another if the whole grade level comes up with a curriculum and can present it realistically, with lessons and plans and everything. If you do something like this, your school district may well pay for at least some of what you'll need.
If you feel you absolutely have to do something like this right off the bat, see if you can start an after-school program. That way, the students who want to learn about computers can, and those who don't have a need at this point in their lives can concentrate on their math homework or what-have-you. Back when I was in 5th grade, there were about 10 of us who participated in an after-school BASIC programming course. Nothing against my other classmates, but this kind of thing would have been lost on them. By doing BASIC after school, our teacher had a much easier time of it, because only the kids who were really interested in it were there.
Wait a year. Make some friends. Figure out the office politics at your school (yes, there will be office politics). Find out what has been done before at your school, what has worked, what has failed. See what teaching is like WITHOUT trying to add in more material. You might figure out for yourself why other teachers just aren't able to teach additional subjects.