Classroom Experiment Day #1

We are creating a 21st century learning environment in my third period classroom. Today, each student had a school laptop, learning objectives, and their choice of websites, statistical analysis software, textbook CDs, and search engines to find their own resources. Some had a lengthy login process, 4 of them waiting 30 minutes before being able to login and work. We will monitor that length of time tomorrow, and perhaps we will move to desktop machines in the computer lab instead of laptops in my classroom if login time does not improve. Two students expressed the desire to be able to use their own personal laptops, but I told them they wouldn't be able to connect to our server for internet service. Each student wrote a short reflection (on paper) to express their hopes and fears about this experiment. Most were positive statements, but a few wish to cling to a teacher-centric model. Once all were logged in, they were exploring different resources. The hush was noticeable, and the energy in the classroom seemed to increase. It was exciting for me. Unfortunately they had time only to explore today, but I am hopeful that they will quickly orient themselves and find their optimal learning paths. Tomorrow, I will give them some information lecture-style while we wait for computer logins, but after that, they will be on their own. 

Our current topic of study: basic workings of statistical inference: hypothesis tests