October 22, 2010

By: Jesse T. from Philadelphia, PA
Comments: 18

Posted By: Jesse Todd
On: 5/21/2008 9:00:49 PM

We have three laptop carts at our school that teachers can sign out as an alternative to taking classes to the IMC. We have two different cart types of carts, and although they serve their purpose, I feel that they are also flawed. One type has gotten banged up with the normal wear and tear of being a mobile cart used daily. This cart also does not have a designated spot for the chargers. As a result, we have had issues where a charger cord was left dangling out of the cart and a student closed the door, clipping the cord. The other cart has a better design overall. It is more durable, and has a designated place for the charger cords, although they can still dangle out of the cart quite easily. The chargers don't stay in place in this cart's outlets as well as in the other, and the cart is more difficult to steer due to its weight and wheel design. I think my main issue with both of these cart designs is the fact that if a student fails to show proper care, the chargers can be damaged quite easily. This makes me wonder-- if Apple produces so much technology for schools, why has it not developed retractable power cords? I am curious to see if people in other schools have had similar experiences or any insight into this issue. Jesse One of the designs is similar to this: https://www.bretford.com/products/overview.asp?id=298

Posted By: Erin Jacobs
On: 6/1/2008 7:38:28 PM

It sounds like this might be a cart issue, though the newest apple products have a charger that links magnetically and is less "gangly" than others I've seen. Great idea about a retractable cord. Maybe that's in the works.

Posted By: Amanda Turner
On: 6/4/2008 11:19:20 AM

I love how our experience at the Summer Design Institute has forever changed how we view the world. I've experienced the same problem with the computer carts at my school. I really don't think I would have thought twice about this issue prior to SDI.

Posted By: Cathy Fox
On: 12/20/2008 1:00:50 PM

I think the mobile laptop carts a wonderful accessory for students to have access to in any subject area. I have not used them myself yet, but definitely plan on doing so in the near future!

Posted By: Jason Weinberger
On: 6/23/2009 6:28:29 PM

True to form, the laptop carts at our school are exactly the same, banged up and missing parts. Funny enough, an excellent idea to bring the internet resource to the classroom is a great idea and a useful tool; but Jesse Todd puts it right; there is plenty of room for design improvement.

Posted By: Marchella B.
On: 6/29/2009 11:44:36 PM

We have two laptop carts at my school, however both carts have malfunctional issues. Unfortunately, the bottom half of one cart and the top half of the other cart won't charge so it is difficulty to have a full set of laptops to use with your class.

Posted By: Angela Carmon
On: 7/4/2009 3:17:48 AM

As a high school teacher, I see many of my students with blackberries and sidekicks. Theses are basically computers with keyboards, cameras, videos, ect... If we start thinking out of the box with our students, we do not even need a lap top cart. Just find ways to use the technologies the students already have in their back pocket!

Posted By: Stacey Carter
On: 7/5/2009 8:09:51 AM

It would be really cool if you gave your students the design challenge of creating an alternative to the laptop cart problem. You could even collaborate with other teachers (like if you have a shop teacher) to give students more resources for meeting the challenge.

Posted By: Miriam Kelsey
On: 7/27/2009 5:13:45 PM

I think the idea of working with designers to resolve technology issues is a fantastic idea! Designers could collaborate directly with teachers by interviewing them about what specific problems they encounter to determine what problems need to be resolved. After reading the comments posted it appears that some issues may be resolved due to new innovations and others have not. However, the financial contraints may not allow for updating outdated systems. So, in some cases, even though the problem could be solved with newer systems, it may not be feasable. Since technology is so critical and costly while financial resources are limited, it is imperative that the correct decissions are made when purchasing technology. In turn, it's also important that the technology that is now available at our school is being used at full capacity.