Tablet PCs: Students Sound Off

Layne at Technology Questions describes his first days as teacher showing his chemistry students how to use Tablet PCs to learn chemistry. It's a great read for anyone wondering how Tablets work in public schools with "at risk" students.

"Thanks to a grant from HP, two class periods of high school chemistry students started to use Tablet PCs about two weeks ago. Students’ attitudes ranged from computer confident to computer phobic and their abilities ranged from computer ignorant to computer amateur."

He offers several "lessons learned" that other teachers have encountered and novice Tablet teachers will want to try to avoid.

Kudos, Layne and chem students for your optimistic approach to learning with Tablets.

(What does that term "at risk" mean these days? I think it's changed since it was originally coined as a neutral descriptor for students prejudged likely to fail in public schools. I wonder if it means that teachers have not adequately managed student learning before they entered the Tablet classroom?)

And, importantly, thanks HP for your innovative education grant program. Please keep it going.

Tablet PCs: Students Sound Off, Technology Questions. October 22, 2009