Rather than spending a bundle on building a sophisticated wireless infrastructure and another bundle on maintaining it, a school could make use of cell-phone computers and the telecoms’ existing wireless infrastructure for Internet access. Besides connectivity at school, the students would then have wireless access to the Internet at home.”

One computer per student isn’t enough. Schools should emphasize the notion of “continuous, seamless use.” The focus on providing a 1-to-1 ratio of laptops to students should be shifted to how students use technology. The State Education Technology Directors Assn. just published a vision statement that reflects this idea: “Ensure that technology tools and resources are used continuously and seamlessly for instruction, collaboration, and assessment.”

Article on the Sci-Tech website: Getting Mobile Technology into Schools