Adopt or Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom by M. Prensky

What I learned from this article is that change in the methods and frequency of technology in the classroom is actually possible and necessary. The author made three very good points. The first is that the world itself is changing rapidly, with technology as a vital part; school classrooms should be no different. (Yet, he argues, schools often are different, taking much more time to update than the outside world.) The second is that, thusfar, people are doing the same activities as they've always done but now using computers to make the job slightly easier. Filing, grading, and so on still happen, simply in new ways; this author presents the idea that new things can happen with technology in the classroom. Software programs and the internet could enable students and teachers to learn new things in new ways. The third point is that students can be an important part of this shift to using technology more prevalently in the classroom. Teachers and administrators, especially older ones, really are "digital immigrants;" but students are "digital natives" and could assist their teachers.

My question after reading this article is about the implementation of this idea of one-to-one computer interaction. I wonder who would fund it, how the computers would be distributed and monitored, who would actually own the computers, and so on. This article said that, by the end of the year, a basic laptop might cost as little as $100, but I see other issues in addition to the initial cost. Maintenance, replacement, updating, and so on would cost money. Would the schools have special tech guys? Who would pay for that? It all seems costly, unless in the long run it might save time, and therefore money, in the classroom.