Deploying Student Laptops

MICDS (www.micds.org) will start a 1:1 Tablet PC program in grades 7, 9, and 10 in August. What type of training/orientation do you suggest for students on the "out of the box day" when they receive their machines? If you have any thoughts or a model approach to recommend I'd really appreciate the feedback.

Tags: deployment, laptops

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Permalink Reply by Colin Davitt on January 17, 2008 at 1:46pm

lets talk - I am just down the street from you and about to do the same in HS. I have you on twitter and will drop you a line there.

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Permalink Reply by Sylvia Martinez on January 20, 2008 at 10:52am

I'd suggest that no matter exactly what you do that day, before it happens, you have a cadre of kids who go through it first. Then they will be available as peer mentors on "box day". It reinforces the message of student ownership, will give many more kids access to help on that crazy day, and leverage you and your team so you can work on bigger issues.

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Permalink Reply by Michal on January 20, 2008 at 1:13pm

Make sure teachers are involved in the same training and that they meet periodically to discuss challenges that arise as everyone adjusts to this new situation! Students need to know how to make folders, to save work in those folders and retrieve it, how to do basic troubleshooting (many times restarting the computer will solve the problem, yet I spend more time restarting computers for people when "such & such just won't work!). Be prepared for odd challenges - a school nearby to me had one little gal who kept having problems connecting to the internet. After days of troubleshooting it was discovered that she was trying to access the internet from home, where she didn't have an internet connection. You can't assume these kids will know all this.