More on laptops in schools

Well, you all probably think I am pushing for every kid to have a laptop. I'm not. In fact, I don't believe that giving every student a laptop is necessarily a good thing nor would it automatically improve learning. But laptops in schools is a hot issue right now, and one you will probably encounter sometime as teachers. I thought you might want to read this article from e-School News on the subject about a school doing away with paper textbooks. They claim that over time it will actually be cheaper to give out laptops:

"Instead of spending hundreds of dollars per student on individual textbooks, which have become increasingly difficult to update given the ever-changing world of state standards, district administrators opted to put the money toward laptops so the curriculum could be modernized digitally alongside evolving requirements, at little or no additional cost.

Lee said the technology should help provide a more relevant curriculum while preparing students for the central role technology likely will play in their lives after graduation."

Like Rich Culatta said recently, my thoughts are, why all the fuss about laptops? There are lots of other technologies that can be very powerful. In fact, many of you are learning about them as you write your wiki pages.

What do you guys think? What technology do you think could have the greatest, most general across all subjects, impact on a school? If your principal asked you what technology he should purchase for everyone to use, what would you say?

BTW- you might consider signing up for e-School News because it's free!