A thought on your question:
The Alphasmart 2000 came with a cable allowing the information to be sent
directly
to almost any computer word processor, even an Apple GS. Work could be
viewed
there, edited or stored to be checked just like the peer papers are. Most
teachers
do not immediately grade. A child can be taught to edit and create final
copy on a
computer, just as most adults do in the world of work.
If you have a case where a paper is to be posted or placed in a
non-electronic
portfolio, then it should be printed. I know teachers using both
AlphaSmarts and
abandoned computers (for middle school student word processing projects)
who teach
all students to save to word processor and place on a diskette for review
and
correction. The teacher returns some work which is printed, and some in the
digital
diskette format for students to review and correct. Much of the work is
never
placed on "traditional paper".
Perhaps it is time to begin to shift paradigms and refocus our thinking
about
having a "print copy" of scholastic digital information. It would surely
save our
environment and even prepare our children for the world of work, where many
digital
documents are never printed on paper. There are also some multimedia
programs which
do not have the ability to print, they are practiced, edited and approved
in
digital format only. Just a thought. Cwaida
spk2wrt@phoenix.edc.org wrote:
> I need advice about from members of this listserve.
>
> If a child needs to use an Alphasmart (small keyboard word processor) in
> order to complete assignments within each classroom in a grade 7 team
> structure, shouldn't there be a printer and hook-up cable in each
> classroom? My thinking is that if the purpose of the Alphasmart is to be
> the equivalent of a pencil or pen for a writing disabled child, then
> printing the assignment right in the classroom, and handing it in (a
> minimum requirement for all the other kids in the room), should be the
> practice and expectation.
>
> At present, it appears much more prevalent to expect the student to
either
> leave the class during class time and go to the special ed room, or the
> library, to print (which takes about 15 minutes roundtrip); or, to
complete
>
> the printing during lunchtime or morning break; or to bring it home
> overnight, print it, and hand it in the next day. All of this in schools
> that do not have computers/printers in each classroom.
> Isn't it more equitable to consider a computer and printer in each room
as
> a necessary part of the technology needed for equal/equitable access and
> use?
>
> Hope this question makes sense to some of you, and that you can help me
> with my thinking.
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Sincerely,Carol Spencer
____________________________________________________________
To post a message to the spk2wrt list, send your message to:
spk2wrt@mail.edc.org. To reply to a message, simply use the reply button in
your email program (do not change the subject line in any way). To access the
spk2wrt archive containing a full list of all discussion threads to date, point
your Web browser to: http://www.edc.org/spk2wrt/hypermail/. For questions about
this list, please send a message to: spk2wrt@edc.org. For more information
about the Speaking to Write project, please visit our Web site at:
http://www.edc.org/spk2wrt
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Sep 06 2000 - 15:43:09 EDT