Five years ago, the US politician and then Republican renaissance man, Newt Gingrich, set out his aim to equip the poor and needy with notebook computers. The idea seemed to die with Gingrich's short-lived political fortunes. A handful of UK schools have run a pilot programme of issuing pupils with their own personal laptop computers. This week his team publishes a report into the progress of the 28 pilot schools. The fact that a pupil can set up their computer in any classroom, or any room at home, gives them flexibility to work where they want.
Ownership is also important.
At Cornwallis School in Maidstone, laptops are given to students on long-term loan. Children carry them home in the evening and keep them during holidays. There's every indication that children are more engaged and more committed and show greater pride in their work. To an extent that's because laptops are more versatile than pen and paper. He gives the example of a German class that was set a project to describe and analyse a soap opera.