Are Laptops the Future of Textbooks in Education?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential role of laptops as a replacement or enhancement for traditional textbooks in educational settings. Participants explore various perspectives on the integration of technology in classrooms, including its impact on learning, distractions, and the practicality of digital versus physical resources.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express nostalgia for traditional textbooks, citing physical discomfort from carrying heavy books and advocating for laptops to provide easier access to information.
  • Others argue that laptops can be significant distractions in the classroom, leading to decreased focus on learning and increased use of non-educational activities.
  • A participant mentions that schools can implement filtering systems to limit distractions from instant messaging and non-educational websites, suggesting that this could enhance the use of laptops in class.
  • There are concerns about students' proficiency with technology, with some noting that skills in gaming do not necessarily translate to academic computer skills.
  • Some participants propose that textbooks should primarily be used at home for studying and homework, while suggesting that digital formats could be made available at a lower cost.
  • Several participants express a preference for physical textbooks over digital formats, emphasizing the tactile experience of reading and note-taking on paper.
  • There is a suggestion that laptops could be configured to restrict access to games and messaging, potentially making them more suitable for educational use.
  • One participant raises the idea of using a centralized computer hub instead of individual laptops to enhance control and security in the classroom.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not reach a consensus, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness and appropriateness of laptops versus traditional textbooks in educational settings. Disagreement persists regarding the potential distractions posed by laptops and the best methods for integrating technology into learning environments.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about the effectiveness of filtering systems, the necessity of physical textbooks, and the implications of using laptops in classrooms. There are unresolved questions about the practicality of implementing such systems and the overall impact on student learning.

  • #61
Moonie said:
But the kids who are going to be that saavy are those who will already have computers at home. Why would they bother spending the time hacking around the school computer security when they can just go home and freely access what they want on their own computer?
Lol... you're joking right? If you were a brainy computer wiz trapped in class and bored for several hours a day with a computer infront of you that you aren't supposed to be able to hack what do you think you'd be doing? And these kids could do it for other kids too in exchange for money or various possible things.

The problems in bigger cities that you already pointed out to some degree is the crime. A pretty decent percentage of crime happens on school campuses. A kid taking a laptop home could have it stolen from him sure. He might also sell it himself or decide to destroy it just for the hell of it. Maybe a bully will destroy it or a pissed off parent.

Smurf said:
You go to the computer lab after school. You go to the local library. What you DON'T do is give every kid a free lap top because they can't be bothered to cope with the slight advantage other kids have of being able to eat when using a computer. Does anyone else see this as plain stupidity?
That is what I'm arguing. A kid that has to use a computer at school to do all their work may not have a computer at home to be able to continue doing their work. Even if they have a laptop they may not have internet access. Here in California they already want to cut textbook content and replace it with a listing of websites where you can get the information from instead. In someplaces around here they don't even want the kids on campus after school because of the number of fights and amount of drug and gang activity that goes on around them after school is out. Going to the library might be just as much a problem. It may cost money. The only free internet access I have seen at a library in a not very nice neighborhood around here was limited to a half hour.
 
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  • #62
How about a rule that if you hack into your laptop you get booted back to a regular school? Maybe we need to teach kids that priveleges are earned. Maybe teach them some responsibility? :confused:

I didn't see anything about these kids being able to take their laptops home, does anyone know what they're allowing the kids to do?
 
  • #63
Evo said:
How about a rule that if you hack into your laptop you get booted back to a regular school? Maybe we need to teach kids that priveleges are earned. Maybe teach them some responsibility? :confused:

I didn't see anything about these kids being able to take their laptops home, does anyone know what they're allowing the kids to do?

Why don't they just charge them with felonies:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/12343436.htm
 
  • #64
dduardo said:
Why don't they just charge them with felonies:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/12343436.htm
I think that might be going a bit far.

And really if they are smart enough to crack a well designed security system they should be in a higher level learning environment not booted into a lower level one.
 
  • #65
TheStatutoryApe said:
I think that might be going a bit far.

And really if they are smart enough to crack a well designed security system they should be in a higher level learning environment not booted into a lower level one.
Yeah, but then we could also say that for safe cracking and other illegal activities that require some thought and skill.
 
  • #66
Evo said:
How about a rule that if you hack into your laptop you get booted back to a regular school? Maybe we need to teach kids that priveleges are earned. Maybe teach them some responsibility? :confused:
Send them to military school! That should teach those scrawny geeks not to hack the school-owned laptops. :devil:
 

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