SMART Chapter 4 - Netbooks (and iPads)

My opinion:

I like the idea that every student gets their own personal computer for educational purposes. The advantages to this far exceed the negatives. Students can surf the web, or at least use its resources, to further their education in ways a traditional textbook could never accomplish. Plus, with every student having their own computers, eBooks can be used instead of paper copy textbooks. This would automatically cut costs drastically. Plus, with all the free resources online, it would be foolish to not use the many different features available. I would have my students blogging about pictures and articles about Hitler instead of just reading on paper about him. Netbooks for every student would make handing in papers easier, by not even having to click a button on Google Docs. Also, netbooks would cut the amount of clutter on a deak. Netbooks would allow students to tour the world using Google Earth without ever leaving their seat, which I have no doubt would improve geography skills. It is such a good idea, if a school system has the money upfront to pay for each netbook, to use the online resources available to maximize the learning experience for each child.

 

Pros:

In my opinion, netbooks have a much better typing option than iPads because I cannot handle typing long paragraphs or even papers on an iPad. The keyboard just does not work well for me. Netbooks would work much better for students because it gives them an easier option to type, especially on places like Google Docs. Another benefit for netbooks over iPads is the battery life. I know the iPad 2 can virtually last all day, perhaps a battery life of 8-9 hours; but, some netbooks can run off of solar energy, which means they will never need recharged or plugged in an outlet. Also, they don't have a glare like the iPad does. I know Kindle's and other tablets do not have that glare, but I know the iPad does, a really bad one too. These are just a few of the positives for netbooks in the classroom setting.

 

Cons:

Network security becomes a huge problem with many netbooks because these machines do not have the memory for any added on security features. Netbooks are much more vulnerable to viruses and malware. This could become a major problem, especially if a student can loses personal information. Also, the cheap price on these machines would be virtually wiped away if a viruse destroys it, thus causing parents to purchase a second one for their child. Another disadvantage to netbooks are their size. Adults with their big fingers and bad eyes cannot adjust properly to the small features of a netbook. Smaller children, however, do not have a problem with the smallness of this machine. At least with the iPad, one can adjust the font or zoom rather easily for the older people in the world. A final drawback to netbooks are system capabilities for these machines. Students love adding applications to any machine, but netbooks cannot really handle many apps due to its small memory. Also, many systems, according to the textbook, seem to have problems running on these machines. There are many drawbacks to using a netbook, like all machines of course. iPads thrives with many applications and memory does not seem to be an issue, so in these instances, the iPads win.