Rather, solutions need to be tailored to the learning context, something that is very difficult to do with an off-the-shelf product.
In short, time management is ultimately more of a human concern than a technological concern. While technology can help mediate time management issues, the notion that technology is a panacea for time management (or really, any educational issue) is a misleading over-statement that helps fuel an anti-technology backlash. Technology, used well, helps people meet needs and solve problems.
My response is similar to Steve's: distraction can and will occur in any medium. Before computers, people passed notes. Even now, students hold side conversations -- and I would argue that doing it via a chat client is less disruptive than the old-fashioned way of passing air over the vocal cords. It's less a technology issue, and more a personal discipline issue. At the risk of getting overly general, disruptive behavior with laptops is also more likely to occur when laptops are integrated into a learning activity where they aren't essential, or in the classrooms of teachers who have discipline issues without laptops. Teaching with technology is different than teaching in the presence of technology.
More importantly, students can be looking straight at you and not hear a word you say. They don't need technology to blow things off.
Claiming than any platform will fully solve any of these issues is, at best, overselling.
Cheers,
Bill
--- On Wed, 11/5/08, gpaoli <gpaoli@dreyfous.com> wrote:
> From: gpaoli <gpaoli@dreyfous.com>
> Subject: Re: Student Time Management
> To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 4:57 AM
> We have been successfully promoting a product called
> EduPlatform to our
> clients. It is a must have for one to one Initiatives.
> Basically, it not
> only includes the features commonly found in Lab Management
> software like
> real time monitring, screen block and sharing, limit/grant
> access to the
> operating system, send/receive files, etc... but also
> includes a nifty
> Lesson Builder, where teachers can create lessons using
> Digital Resources.
> It's all about keeping students engaged and providing
> teachers with the
> tools necessary to manage a networked environment.
> EduPlatform claims they
> can help by, limiting distractions and maximizing
> instructional time.
> EduPlatform hits the mark on both claims.
>
>
>
> Giovanni Paoli, M.Ed.
> Educational Consultant
>
>
>
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