In a recent article, National Board-certified media specialist Kitty Boitnott argues that school laptop programs should be about more than test-score results. She contends that schools need to prepare students for the digital age and that laptop programs could help “level the digital playing field between teen boys and girls.” Boitnott found that laptop programs can help girls, who are less likely to pursue careers in information technology, develop more positive attitudes toward computer technology.
What’s your view? Do one-to-one laptop programs benefit students and help prepare them for the 21st century careers? Are their effects on boys and girls different? How do boys’ and girls’ attitudes differ with respect to technology? In what other ways might schools help girls become more interested in information technology?
