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In 1990, fifth graders at a private school in Australia were introduced to laptops, and their learning was never the same. Author Bob Johnstone talks about the first laptop school, how it drew visitors and researchers from around the world, and how other schools can learn from that experience. Included: Tips on how to integrate laptops into the curriculum.

Some might be surprised to learn that the pioneers of laptop use in schools were not educators at a technology-steeped Silicon Valley school or in a district abutting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but teachers at a private girls' school in Melbourne, Australia. In 1990, the faculty at Methodist Ladies' College urged parents of fifth graders to buy laptops for their children, making it the first school in the world with widespread individual laptop use. As the program spread throughout the grades, school officials saw students develop into more motivated, independent learners, and ultimately, saw school test scores increase.

Microsoft officials in the United States were so intrigued when they heard that ten-year-olds were using their software daily and adeptly that, in 1995, the company flew ten American educators to Australia to observe classes at MLC. Since then, laptop use has grown in public and private schools in Australia and other countries.

Bob Johnstone, a freelance writer based in Melbourne, Australia, writes about the embrace of technology by faculty and students at Methodist Ladies' College in Never Mind The Laptops: Kids, Computers and the Transformation of Learning. A former reporter, Johnstone has written about the impact of technology on society for more than 20 years. In 1991, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.

Bob Johnstone

Johnstone recently talked with Education World about integrating laptops into the curriculum and making them an everyday learning tool.

Education World: What are the key ingredients for successfully integrating laptops into the curriculum?

Bob Johnstone: The key ingredients are the same as for integration of any good pedagogy and classroom practice designed to improve learning: strong leaders who can explicitly define the objective of introducing this form of computer into students' lives, and who can explain the advantages of the one computer-to-one student mode.

Also, [you need] community understanding and ownership of the process of change to improve student learning outcomes, as well as high levels of professional development, staff mentoring, and modeling of good practice -- in as many different guises as possible.

[In addition, one needs] support for, and encouragement of, exchange with other professionals and other schools in their learning practices, and rewards for best practices for teachers, students, and technical staff. Fostering a culture that embraces change, that is willing to try new things, and that refuses to de daunted [also is helpful], as well as building good relationships with contacts in the information technology industry.

EW: How can administrators avoid being influenced by technology companies that obviously are seeking customers when deciding on the best resources for their schools?

Johnstone: [Administrators can avoid such influence] by making sure that the conversation begins with the learning outcome and working back from there, and by refusing to accept the standard offerings of software companies and demanding that they provide products capable of delivering the learning experiences their students need.

Also, [administrators need to] tell hardware vendors that if they want to succeed in the education market, they must come to terms with what learners need. Vendors should price their products according to what schools can afford to pay, in anticipation of the volume of sales that such prices would stimulate.

Johnstone: Obviously, the cost of the laptops -- versus desktops -- and the associated technical support structure within schools, are key factors. [Other factors include] a lack of understanding of the real potential of a one student-to-one computer program, of the profound change in teaching and learning experiences that accompany the introduction of laptops, and of the need to support that change with new learning environments and support for staff. [Finally,] a lack of bold leadership at the school and institutional level, in initiating the change and supporting its consequences [is a factor].

EW: Todd Oppenheimer, author of the book, The Flickering Mind, (Read an Education World Wire Side Chat interview with Oppenheimer, Author Says Technology Brings False Promises to Schools.) argues that the current emphasis on technology use in schools drains resources from other subjects, and prevents students from developing creatively and learning critical thinking skills. How would you respond to that?

Johnstone: I think it's nonsense. My impression is that schools are not exactly doing a wonderful job of teaching creativity and critical thinking using traditional methods. Indeed, whether creativity actually can be taught is questionable. Surely, the idea is to provide as many outlets as possible for the students' natural creativity, to encourage it to develop?

The computer blows away drudgework, like copying out essays, or hand-drawing geometrical diagrams, freeing up time for more creative tasks. In the hands of the learner, it can be a tool of unprecedented power. Software packages like PhotoShop and Flash (animation) offer even primary school children extraordinary opportunities for creativity.

As for critical thinking, that requires a sophisticated understanding of what is out there in terms of information resources. Trying to pretend that the Internet doesn't exist, or arguing that students lack the ability to discriminate between good and bad Web sites, is simply burying your head in the sand. How are students ever going to learn such critical skills without the opportunity to practice them?

EW: How widespread is laptop use in Australian schools today?

Johnstone: Numbers vary from state to state; penetration is highest here in Victoria, which was the first state to initiate laptop programs. Perhaps ten percent of Victorian schools, which equals about 200 schools, run one-kid, one-computer programs, with another ten percent running some sort of laptop program.

In the majority of states, public school teachers participate in subsidized laptops-for-teachers programs. Large numbers of private schools and smaller numbers of public schools offer optional laptop programs (private schools account for roughly one-third of the total schools in Australia.) Schools that initiated one-kid, one-computer laptop programs during the 1990s are continuing with them. (As one teacher put it, "the fact that our laptop program is still going after ten years is because teachers think it works for the kids.") In many public and Catholic schools that cannot afford a full one-to-one program, roll-around class sets of laptops are available. Across the nation, a domino effect is taking place, as laptop-savvy teachers move to other schools in leadership positions.

EW: Did students at Methodist Ladies College continue to outscore their peers on standardized tests as the laptop use continued?

Johnstone: Yes, though tables ranking schools according to results are not officially published in Victoria, MLC continues to shine. Note, however, that tests do not reflect the use of technology (and students are not allowed to use computers in the tests.) The point is that, because kids in laptop classes typically tend to be more enthusiastic and motivated about learning, they perform better across the board, including on standardized tests.

This e-interview with Bob Johnstone is part of the Education World Wire Side Chat series. Click here to see other articles in the series.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE

• Eight Pillars Of Successful Technology Implementation

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
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