Netbooks and iPads

Are you a proponent of one-to-one computing in classrooms? Explain your answer and provide supporting documentation for your argument.

 

I am a proponent of one-to one computing in classrooms.  I am still skeptical of technology but I can also see the benefits.  After using the iPad I have discovered that I am more comfortable with the iPad because it is personal and keeps all my stuff in one place.  When I turn it back on in the morning, the work I did before is still there where o computers and laptops you have to save and integrate information among programs where the iPads integrate information automatically.  I feel that every student having access to either a netbook or iPad could be very beneficial.  With netbooks having limited access to the Internet, keeping the students from playing games when they should be doing their work or listening to a teacher, is a feature that is very important.  I think that having a netbook or iPad where the student can save their own work and  always have access to it will help increase the learning of the students.  In the IPads articles it talked about the teacher being able to download content from the lessons to the students so that they can have access to that information on the bus, home, and pretty much anywhere they go.  If each student had their own unit to take with them, they could access these downloads which I think would reinforce their learning.  Also, being able to access their textbooks on one small unit rather than caring several heavy books would be beneficial.  Many students don't take their books with them because they are so heavy to carry and then find out later it would have been beneficial to have.  This way they always have access to their books without the heavy load.

Discuss the pros and cons of netbooks versus tablets (iPads).

 

A pro of netbooks versus tablets is the limited access to the Internet.  This will help the students stay more focused on their work and not be distracted by playing games or other things that they would rather be looking at.  Another pro for netbooks is that they do have regular keyboards to use when typing.  I find it easier to type on the actual keyboard rather than the keyboard on the screen of the iPads.

A con is that using the netbook exposes the schools network to virus's, malware, and other forms of cyber-mischief.  Because of the way netbooks are made it is often impossible to apply security software to them in order to protect the school systems.  This is not a problem with iPads because they are not networked.  The other con is the limitations of the system capabilities of the netbooks versus the iPad.  There are operating systems that can not be used on the netbook and according to the book several of these systems are ones that are popular among teachers to use.  Also, I think the size is a con.  Although netbooks are smaller than laptops, the iPads are smaller than the netbooks and easier to carry.  I like how the iPads are flat and do not take up much room and I feel are more useful than netbooks. The iPads have lots of apps that can be downloaded that would not be available on a netbook.

All-in-all after looking at both the netbook and iPad, if I had a choice to make between the two for each of my students to have in my classroom I would chose the iPad.