The Top Reasons Students Need Mobile PCs
When I brought home my things from school today, the thought, "Man, I really need to get a Tablet PC" crossed my mind more than once. In one arm, I had a 2 1/2" three ring binder for four classes and a separate 1 1/2" binder for another class. In the other arm, I had a few textbooks for homework, and my pencil case. Then, I figured out why a Tablet PC or a UMPC would be more logical than an outdated, standard, binder-filled backpack.
- Weight. By the age of twelve, my backpack weighed a good 25 lbs. And that was not including textbooks. In contrast, I have seen many Tablet PCs and UMPCs that weigh around 3 lbs or less.
- Paper. In my first semester of my sophomore year in high school, I used well over 1,440 pieces of paper. In a year and a half, I used well over 5,000 pieces of paper. With a Mobile PC, I would rarely need paper.
- Ease. Imagine this:
A student walks into the classroom, sits down at her desk and turns on her Tablet PC. Then checks her school email, where the teacher has sent today's class notes. She also opens last night's homework, as well as her digital textbook. When all the students are in the classroom, the teacher turns on her Tablet PC. They open a shared session in OneNote, so the students can follow the teacher's steps. Together, they review the homework, and then the teacher asks them to get ready for a test. She sends them the link to a website, and they quickly take the test, getting immediate feedback.
- Staying Organized. When I was a freshman, my algebra 2 teacher said the most important thing about learning is being organized. After spending a year in his class, I agree.
If all students had a Mobile PC then organization would not be such a hassle. Students could make the quick switch from six paper-based folders to the digital equivalent; No more lost papers, or crumpled work.
The sad part about this whole idea of using a Mobile PC in school, is that when I talked to a Fujitsu representative at CES, he said they were not marketing their products for consumers. I don't think he realized that his products are amazing for schools.
Another significant challenge is that I have a nine hour school day, and my classrooms don't have easily accessible outlets. My battery would not make it through the day. Oh, and the cost. Really, I think high school is the age group manufacturers and retailers want to sell these Tablet PCs to, but there is no way normal teenagers would buy something for $1,500.