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Students with literacy difficulties receive provision under a variety of supports and organisational arrangements that differ from school to school and ICT has to available in these differing context if students are to avail of its benefits.
With this in mind, the Laptops Initiative developed the Fixed, Floating and Fostered deployment framework and teachers found this very useful when thinking about how best to deploy laptops throughout their schools. In this regard, the model is very useful for planning purposes.
Examples of the three models being applied in practical setting can be seen in three of the cases provided in the accompanying ‘Engaging Learners’ DVD and these are also available for download: St. Paul's Community College, Causeway Comprehensive School and Wexford Vocational College.
Also, the accompanying ‘Engaging Learners’ book provides a more detailed description of the models and examples of their application in schools.
The Fixed, Floating and Fostered Deployment Model
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| Fixed |
Laptops are ‘fixed’ in one location
Typical fixed locations included learning-support rooms, libraries and dedicated ‘laptop rooms’. Two main variations of the fixed model developed in the Laptops Initiative:
(1) A layout resembling a conventional computer laboratory. Laptops offered considerable saving of space and could be easily removed for other users
(2) The laptops were largely confined to one room but could be arranged flexibly within this. This facilitated different teaching styles and arrangements. |
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| Floating |
Laptops are available in varying locations on a flexible basis
Two main floating patterns evolved within the Laptops Initiative:
(1) A number of laptops were available on a variable-needs basis. These were used, for example, in learning support ‘withdrawal’ situations or brought to classes as needed for varying learning support tasks
(2) A larger number of laptops were available for use by whole-class groups with a literacy support dimension: e.g. ‘banded’ classes; Leaving Cert. Applied classes (LCA); Junior Certificate Schools Programme (JCSP) groups. |
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| Fostered |
A dedicated laptop is designated to a specific student – it is considered 'theirs’
Variations of the fostered model included:
(1) The student having the dedicated laptop all of the time, at home and at school
(2) The laptop being available in school only
(3) The laptop used at home only, perhaps for an initial trial period. |
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