Students thrive on unwanted laptops
If you’ve got an old laptop lying around consider giving it to CarolLynn Hill.
The Cambridge Primary School teacher is after old laptops and tablets, which would otherwise end up at the dump, to put them into the hands of children.
‘‘I really have a passion to make a difference for children, especially with learning difficulties,’’ Hill said.
‘‘I believe assisted technology is one way that can enable some children opportunities to access the full curriculum.’’
Through a programme called Chromium, Hill has given old laptops a new lease of life.
‘‘I remove Windows, which is the one thing that slows up old machines, and adapt and install a really light version operating system onto the devices. It becomes as fast as my MacBook and there are some limitations but for a child at school it’s really quite amazing.’’
It takes her a couple of hours to do the conversion on each device and then there’s a $15 subscription to have it run the software. It doesn’t matter if it’s Mac or Windows or a Chrome Book, Hill said the conversion works on most devices. With the way the curriculum is today, devices make it so much easier, particularly with children with learning disabilities, Hill said.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of dyslexic children at school and a device in their hand opens up a whole new world. Most dyslexic students are incredibly bright and intelligent, but their ability to read can sometimes prevent them from independent learning activities that require reading.
‘‘Even in maths, many tasks require an element of reading, which can be difficult for a child with reading difficulties.’’
Some children struggle with the physical task of writing but they have great ideas and can articulate complex stories, Hill said. Technology can create an even playing field for these learners because they can use the device to voice type, she said.
‘‘I had a young boy in my class who doesn’t have a device to bring to school, but I was able to hook him up with his own. He has dyslexia and, while he struggles to write, he is creative and has incredible oral language and can speak articulately. By giving him one of these devices he is able to voice-type stories and be creative and his stories at the end of the day look no different to his peers – they’re phenomenal.
‘‘It’s still a goal for him to learn to write but in the meantime it has really closed the gap for him and a lot of these students.’’