Real-Life Communication
Your school district wants to give every junior high student either
a laptop or a tablet to use in the classroom. You are responsible for investigating
each option and making your recommendation to the board.
You know
that some other districts have gone with tablets. Tablets are cheaper, smaller
and more portable, and some teachers found them more user-friendly.
However,
the lack of a keyboard was an issue, particularly since keyboarding is part
of the Common Core State Standards. And some schools noted that students tended
to view the tablet as a fun gaming device rather than a tool for schoolwork.
Some other districts have chosen laptops. Laptops come with keyboards,
deliver more computing power and offer more connectivity options through USB
and HDMI ports. However, laptops are bigger and heavier than tablets, and
they cost more. And while it is easier to multitask on a laptop than on a
tablet, some teachers found that students were distracted by having too many
things going on at once.
You have decided to recommend buying laptops
for half the students and tablets for the other half as a pilot project. This
allows you to see which device meets your district’s needs most effectively.
The combo option costs $44,000 more than buying all tablets, but you save
$88,000 over buying all laptops, and your students get to benefit from both
types of devices.
Now you need to convince the board of education
that your decision is the right one.
What would you say in your written
report?