Introduction We were chosen by Mrs.Matthews to be in a group called P21. This group focuses on project based learning, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and twenty first century learning. We were told to split into groups and work on a project of our choice. For our project we chose to research why we think laptops would be good in class and we’d like to share our knowledge with you.

Cost The average cost of school supplies for a year is $ and you may need to buy more, if things get ruined, or if teachers request more material. The cost of a good laptop will be around $429.00, which includes a webcam,built in microphone and WIFI. It’s stylish. The laptop will last you years and years. It has a year warranty.

Paying… Many people who we’ve talked to about our project have asked who will be paying for the laptops. The students parents will pay the school the money for the laptops and the school will buy them in bulk. Some people might say it is expensive but it will eliminate all costs of duo tangs, pencils, paper, pens and other school supplies.

Paying… Not buying school supplies eliminates a lot of the cost but also the school won’t have to pay for textbooks because there will be online ones for free. Text books cost $70.00 each so that’s around $1750 for a 25 student class.

Can you take them home ? Students WILL be able to bring their laptops home. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter and msn will be blocked until 3:30 so that students will not be allowed on them during school hours.

Organization and Convenience. Having laptops in class are very good for organization because you won’t have a lot of books in your locker and you can’t forget any of your work or notes.

Speed Having a laptop to take your notes on takes less time then writing them all out so you spend less time writing and more time listening. It is also clearer to read then handwriting.

Collaboration If you are absent for a day and you missed some notes from class, another student that has the notes can share them with you easily. That way you can’t get behind. If you’re doing a group project in class, you can use websites such as Wikispace to share your ideas, and have your discussions on there which is less noise in the class.

Distractions Although laptops in class can be very useful, you can get distracted very easily. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instant Messaging sites can be very tempting to go on and will get you distracted.

Battery Life If you get the chance to use a laptop in class you will have to make sure your laptops are always charged before hand because there are not enough plugs for everyone and if all your work is on your laptop and it goes dead, then your work is gone and you can’t take notes.

Our Survey Our group went around RMS and asked students and teachers if they thought students would work better with laptops. Out of 609 students 598 said yes and 11 said no. So 98% of students said yes and 2% said no. 40 out of 46 teachers said that students would work better with laptops and 5 said no. (86% yes and 14% said no.)

Schools that have used laptops A middle school in Maine tried using laptops in class and found that more then 80% of teachers say the laptops helped make lessons more personal with their students.

Conclusion Based on all our research, we have come to the conclusion that laptops will be good in class. The majority of students, teachers and parents from different sources have all agreed that laptops will enhance student education.

What we have learned… During our experience with P21 we have learned how to manage time and work with other group members who may not have the same schedule as you. We have learned how to research well and make sure everything you are putting in your presentation is true. We also learned about twenty first century learning and incorporating technology into classrooms.