Annotated Bibliography II

David Curtis

English 516

November 18, 2004

Annotated Bibliography II

Anderson, C. A. (2001). Implementing a laptop program at a small liberal arts university.

U.S.: Texas, 1-5.

Annotation: In the fall of 2000, the University of Incarnate Word, a small,

Catholic, liberal arts university in San Antonio, Texas began using IBM

Thinkpads on a relatively large scale. At that time, 2000 laptops were distributed

to students and faculty. This study explains the implementation process and the

components that made this a successful program. The author discusses problems

that were encountered and makes recommendations to institutions that might be

considering such an initiative.

Falba, C., Grove, K. J., & Anderson, D. J. (2001). Benefits of laptop computers for

elementary teachers. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 33 (5),

223-46.

Annotation: The study describes the benefits of providing laptop computers to

elementary teachers. The authors’ analyses revealed broad categories of

beneficial uses of laptops; individual use benefits and group benefits. The

findings showed that access to laptops at school and at home positively affected

teachers’ technology use.

Franklin, S. (1991). Breathing life into reluctant writers: The Seattle Public Schools

Laptop Project. Writing Notebook: Creative Word Processing in the Classroom,

8 (4), 40-42.

Kariuki, M., & Turner, S. (2001). Creating electronic portfolios using laptops: A

learning experience for pre-service teachers, elementary school pupils, and

elementary school teachers. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education,

9 (4), 567-84.

Annotation: Kariuki and Turner describe a study that provided pre-service

teachers with laptop computers to use in a yearlong field work experience in

and elementary school. The results of a participant observation is disclosed as

well as interviews that probed how the pre-service teachers used the laptops and

what the impact of their use was. Electronic portfolios were developed with

students which yielded benefits for both groups.

Peterson, L. (1999). Transforming the daily life of the classroom: The District Six

Laptop Project. U.S.: New York.

Annotation: Sixth-grade students in this study received IBM Thinkpads and were

informed of trends with respect to integrating technology in the classroom.

Peterson describes changes that occurred with the introduction of the laptop into

this sixth-grade classroom and discusses the case study of a unit on ancient

Egypt taught in both a laptop and a non-laptop classroom. The “Create a

Character Project” required students to work in two groups. The first group did

not have access to computer technology and the second group had access to their

laptops. Results demonstrated that laptops enable change in the management of

the classroom and in the design of instructional activities and assignments.

Reichard, D., & McGraw, D. (2001). A laptop for every student. Community College

Journal, 72 (2), 32-39.

Annotation: The article argues that community colleges should require that

students own a laptop, and that costs should be calculated into the need for

financial aid so that no one is deterred from owning a laptop. The study found

that states that require students to own laptops dramatically reduce technology

costs for colleges.

Rideout, D. (2002). Laptops on the range. Education Canada, 42 (2), 20-23.

Annotation: A rural Alberta school district experimented with three different ways

to use wireless laptops in the K-12 classroom. Teachers received intensive

training and support and were made aware of thousands of online curriculum

resources. The impact of technology on student achievement, stakeholder

perceptions, and the family’s role in education were examined.

Smith, G. R., Dilts, J. A., & Gabrielson, P. W. (1999). Using laptops in the biology

Classroom and laboratory. Bioscene, 25 (3), 11-12.

Annotation: The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using laptop

computers rather than desktop computers in the science classroom and

laboratory. They found that while laptops provide greater flexibility, they come

at a greater expense. The uses of laptops are listed in a departmental curriculum.

Westwood, P., & Dobsen, L. (1999). Implementing a successful laptop program.

International Schools Journal, 19 (1), 59-65.

Annotation: Experiences in instituting a personal ownership laptop program

are described. The author argues that learning with laptops captivates and

empowers students, making them more self-motivated and task-oriented. There

was increased risk-taking, as students worked at their own pace.

Yang, C. (2002). Integration of laptops into a K-12 environment: A case study of a

Science teacher in a middle school. U.S.,: Georgia, 1-7.

Annotation: This study identifies approaches to integrate laptops into a science

learning environment in a middle school. The author observed learning activities

and teaching strategies in an eighth grade classroom with seventeen students over

a number of class periods. Data from teacher interviews was gathered. The study

showed that, with appropriate strategies, laptops can be used as a cognitive tool

to enhance the possibility of shifting the teacher’s role from lecturer to facilitator.