Immersion Learning, Unplugged
The ACIE Newsletter, November 2004, Vol. 8, No. 1
By Gary Leatherman, Technology Specialist, L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion School, St. Paul, MN
At L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion school in St. Paul, Minnesota, teachers make a supreme effort to maintain a “No English” policy in the classroom. However, when I roll our iBook Mobile Lab through the door, the cheers and shouts of, “Hooray! Computers!” are usually allowed, since the teachers are as pleased to see the excitement as the kids are to see the machines (although a “Hourra! Les ordinateurs!” would probably result in an extra credit point or two).
As the technology coordinator for the school, I share in the
kids’ enthusiasm for the mobile computer lab. There
are many reasons that the rolling iBook lab is ideal in a
school setting, and even a few that are unique to immersion
programs. From the teachers’ perspective, it’s
a way to integrate computer use with the classroom setting,
thanks to wireless technology and the LCD projector that comes
with each cart. From a maintenance standpoint, my job is easier
because of the combination of the Mac OS X operating system
and new software that lets me simultaneously set up or update
all the laptop systems. And the kids can’t wait to get
their hands on the keyboards, whether they’re racing
each other in typing drills, researching on the Internet,
or creating their first presentations.
The iBook Mobile Lab and I started in the same year (2003),
and as such, we both had some adjustments to make. Originally,
some of the scripting software (the program that allowed me
access to all the computer hard drives at one time) required
some up-front extra learning on my part. However, this year’s
updated NetRestore software makes setup, organization and
maintenance much easier. In fact, all you need to do is to
set up a single laptop exactly as you want all of them, with
all the software and settings in place, and NetRestore will
use your network to synchronize all the cart computers in
the exact same fashion. A “disc image,” essentially
a replica of all the information, lives on your Mac OS X server
so you can automatically update or re-initialize any iBook
simply by the press of a key.
Of course, as with a stationary computer lab, there are going
to be some challenges. For instance, ideally you would keep
all teacher and student files (i.e. Powerpoint presentations
or text documents) on the server. However, with up to thirty
computers using one wireless connection, the individual laptop
speed can suffer when kids are working with particularly large
files. We solved this by having the children transfer the
files onto their individual hard drives; be sure, however,
that the files are transferred back onto the server at the
end of classtime to ensure backups. Newer wireless systems
are significantly faster than the first generation, and I’m
sure that the speed will only increase with every update.
Aside from bringing the computers into the classroom (and
eliminating the disruptive process of transferring children
from one room to another), teachers also enjoy using the iBook
cart because of its flexibility from grade to grade. Younger
children get lots of hands-on experience with computers, learning
how to properly care for them as well as how to use the software
on them; older kids actually use them as tools, just as they
will for the rest of their lives, typing reports, creating
Powerpoint presentations about countries and their own biographies,
and mastering the use of the Internet as an information source.
This year, we’ve added Atout Clic, French-based software
written to reinforce the basics of grammar and mathematics
for grades one through six. And specialized cart accessories
are available to add subject-specific capabilities, such as
specialized mathematics software or instruments that allow
students to collect scientific data directly into their computers
(such as digital thermometers).
Macintosh computers have historically been particularly well
suited to education, with plenty of software available and
an intuitive interface. From a practical standpoint, I appreciate
that there’s very little down time for maintenance:
the imaging technology lets me manage the entire cart from
my base computer system. In fact, thanks to the remote control
software, I can rewipe and change everything on all thirty
computers in a half a day (compare that to the days of going
from computer to computer with a stack of installation discs).
And as shrinking school budgets and limited space challenge
smaller schools (such as many immersion programs), it just
makes sense to bring this virtual computer lab to students,
rather than the other way around. And as they pop open their
wireless computers on their own desks, seeing the teacher’s
screen (set up exactly like theirs) projected on the wall,
it’s easy for them to follow along, learn, and develop
the skills that will set students on a tech-savvy path that
will enhance their education for years to come.
