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It has been the goal of many teachers to have a
computer for every student in the classroom. Today's mobile labs bring that
dream closer to reality. While this type of connectivity is becoming more
common, it is by no means the norm. Maine is leading the nation in this respect
by equipping every seventh and eighth grade student with a wireless laptop. In
this connectivity situation there are tremendous learning opportunities you can
allow your students to experience.
Using a wireless lab takes planning and coordination.
The wireless labs are capable of surfing the Internet using Access Points
throughout the school.
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Keep the wireless lab clean. Do not allow the students to eat or drink
when the laptops are out. If the "wireless lab" is your classroom,
the same rule should apply.
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Assign each student a laptop number and have
that student use only "their" laptop. This will allow the student to save and
retrieve work; to revise and correct at a later date. This also gives you, the
teacher, control over each laptop. You know who is using which laptop and if anything
does go wrong, you will be able to talk to that particular student. Make sure
to keep a list - use a spreadsheet.
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At the end of each day, make sure the wireless
lab is plugged in and charging the battery so it will be ready for the next
day. Each computer plugs into the module that plugs into an electricity source.
The important thing is that each laptop is charged fully each morning.
Once you get started, teaching in a wireless lab
is just like teaching in a traditional computer lab, but with one great thing
missing! The WIRES! The students can sit almost anywhere in a classroom. The
desks can be configured any way the teacher feels comfortable. Classroom
management is a very important part of a wireless lab. You need to be able to
see all the students and be able to walk around the room helping individual
students. However you feel comfortable should be good. Just keep in mind that
these are still machines and should be handled with care.
Case studies of schools using wireless labs
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/computer_allocation.html#labs
Richland County School District Plan for using a wireless lab
http://www.richlandone.org/its/main/wireless.htm
Maine Learning Technology Initiative Research and Evaluation Reports
http://www.state.me.us/mlte/resources/research.htm
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