An abridged version of this article originally appeared at ED Tech: Focus on K-12.
School officials wondering what to do for students who lack their own notebook computers, smartphones or tablets can acquire extra devices with a little bit of ingenuity.
When I began teaching as a librarian in Harlem in the 1990s, my district was embarking on what was then considered an innovative program: putting a pod of four computers in every classroom. I still recall cringing as I heard some teachers say to students, "If you finish your work early, you can go 'play' on the computer." Back then, failing to recognize these devices' powerful learning potential was all too common.
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I loved having the opportunity through my job to expose children to a world of possibilities through books. Access to computers and the Internet took that to a whole new level, giving students instant feedback and interactivity while empowering them to become producers — rather than simply consumers — of information. I watched many of them discover creativity they didn't realize they had. Suddenly, they were using technology to draw, illustrate, write, connect and create professional-looking work that they couldn't wait to share with their families and the school community.
Many of my colleagues were amazed by the way students transformed when they came to my library. But all I was doing was providing the resources and guidance. Armed with that, our students took hold of their learning and went in directions we could not have imagined.
You may be wondering how the librarian at a cash-strapped, inner-city school could provide students with
such learning opportunities. Although we had four computers in each classroom and a lab for "drill-and-kill" standardized-test preparation, our school was technology poor.
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