Soup Yet
Is it By Jamey Fitzpatrick
In the early 1990s, I was employed at the Michigan Department of Education promoting the use of educational technology in Michigan schools. During that time, I remember the excitement of bringing home a “portable computer” from work. It was an Apple Macintosh SE30. The computer was amazing; it only weighed about 20 pounds and required the use of a medium-sized suitcase to transport. The introductory price of this powerful compact computer was $6,500.
For years, most of us in education have been saying pretty much the same thing when it comes to the topic of technology:
“It will be nice when the price of computers comes down so we can afford to provide all kids with access to technology.”
I want to go out on a rooftop and yell out loud so every school administrator and school board member in the state can hear the big
MACULJOURNAL | SPRING/SUMMER 2012 |
news: The day of low-priced technology is here! Have you seen the price of smart phones, tablet devices, e-readers and netbooks lately? It is truly amazing to see what has happened in the marketplace. Most of the predictions about the price, functionality, size and the weight of technology devices have come true. I read recently in a newspaper insert that we can now buy a basic Kindle e-reader for $79!
We sometimes forget just how far things have advanced in the last decade or so. The thought of buying a $79 device that can connect to the Internet should be a game changer for all of us in education. Here’s what the sellers of the Kindle claim their entry-level unit offers:
• Read in bright sunlight
• Weighs less than 6 ounces • Holds up to 1,400 books •
• Download books in 60 seconds • •
One-month battery life Built-in Wi-Fi
Adjustable text sizes
• Email personal documents and PDFs to device and annotate • • • •
Over 1 million books, newspapers, and magazines Access to millions of free, out-of-copyright books Access to free book samples
Borrow books from your public library • Free cloud backup
I can only imagine how much faster, cheaper and better it will be five or 10 years from now, however, there is no need to wait. Our biggest collective challenge today is figuring out how to successfully integrate these powerful, and yes, inexpensive devices into our classrooms to facilitate effective teaching and learning. There are no shortages of challenges related to technology integration and teacher professional development is at the top of the list followed by local policies.
If reading is the foundational building block to education we must and can do more to promote early childhood literacy. Providing all first graders with an e-reader may be a cost effective way to promote the importance and value of reading.
I look forward to the day when we no longer describe “mobile learning” as “mobile learning.” I hope we can agree “it’s soup now,” the kids are hungry for technology and the price is no longer our biggest challenge in providing access to 21st century learning tools.
About MVU
MVU is a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established in 1998 by the State of Michigan to serve as a champion for online learning. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual School® and Michigan LearnPort®, an online learning portal that delivers professional development opportunities and more to the Michigan education community. To learn more, visit
www.mivu.org.
Jamey Fitzpatrick, President and CEO, Michigan Virtual University® (MVU®), has served as a catalyst for change and a champion of innovation in public education. Mr. Fitzpatrick serves on the Board of Trustees for Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan, as well as the Michigan 4-H Foundation Board.
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