Paul,

You raise some very good points that are more than likely not being
communicated to school officials.  I also wonder have these same school
officials thought about accessibility for their students with
disabilities.  my guess is probaly not.  where do students with
disabilities fit into this plan or am I to assume because they are not
mentioned, they don't fit into the plan at all.  We all could make some
pretty good swiss cheese out of articles like this, but it is our
responsability as parents to ensure that the money being allocated for
school budgets "leaves no student behind".  Now where have we heard that
before??  Smile.

Jeffrey Pledger
President, AbleTV.net At 12:39 PM 8/30/01 -0400, you wrote:
> > In San Lorenzo, California, 8,000 students from grades four through 12
> > will get a laptop that they can keep until they graduate.
> >
>Do they really think a computer they give to a student in the fourth grade
>is going to be of any use by the time the student in a senior in high
>school?
>
> > Researchers are already saying that wireless technology is having an
> > impact, by increasing student access to computers and giving kids more
> > autonomy in the classroom.
> >
>There's a fine line between autonomy and isolation.  There's a significant
>social dimension to the construction of knowledge that can be lost if the
>students sit around looking at their screens rather than talking to each
>other or the teacher.  I'm yet to be convinced that anybody has a really
>good handle on how to use computers in a classroom if the subject is other
>than a technology subject.  It probably can be done but, like the rush to
>put a computer in every classroom, I worry that the hype may be driving the
>technology distribution rather than any coherent plan of how to use it.  And
>given the costs involved, we call not commit the money, and give up spending
>for other resources, without getting some real educational gain.  For
>example, doe San Lorenzo really know what its going to do with all those
>computers that's going to create a net increase in the quality of the
>education sufficient to justify the money spent.
>
>------
>Paul Chapin
>Curricular Computing Specialist
>Amherst College
>413 542-2144