Teacher Laptop Initiatives

I remember some time ago, the Teacher Laptop Foundation (site is now defunct, it appears) was attempting to match registered teachers with a company who would be willing to provide teachers with free laptops. I wonder why the Teacher Laptop Foundation folded (or appears to have folded)?

I should think it would be a great benefit for computer companies to provide teachers with free laptops. First of all, I think it displays a commitment to helping teachers and influencing positive change in technology education. I think teachers with laptops would be encouraged to learn more about technology, which could lead to more technology integration in schools. More technology integration in schools can only be a good thing for computer companies, as they stand to benefit from increased sales.

Some schools and districts provide their teachers with laptops. My children attend Fulton Co., Georgia schools, and I know this district provides teachers with laptops. The laptops, I would assume, remain the property of the district, and should the teacher leave the district, I imagine he or she must return the laptop, but while the teacher is employed at the district, I think it’s great to have a computer that can travel.

My own school does provide each teacher with a desktop for use at school, and a very nice one at that. I also have a SMART Board attached to it, which enables me to do some truly great things with technology in my classroom. Frankly, for most of the teachers on my faculty, I believe the desktop is sufficient. My own laptop would be useful to me, however, because I would be able to plan activities with SMART software without having to move anything over using my flash drive. It’s fine for now, but it would be really nice if I didn’t have to do that.

When I Google relevant search terms (such as free laptop teachers education), I feel somewhat discouraged by the results. I wonder why, in an age when we have an initiative to provide laptops for children in developing nations, that we don’t have an initiative to provide teachers with laptops.

7 thoughts on “Teacher Laptop Initiatives”

  1. Maybe you could get your school (or some related organization) to pony up $400 participate in the Give One Get One program that OLPC is doing right now:

    http://www.xogiving.org/

    The school would donate one of the laptops to a child in a developing country and you could keep the other one. Those OLPC are sort of meant for children, but under the hood they are pretty nice machines.

  2. I'm a teacher in Indonesia. I want to improve my teaching better than now. But I have a problem, cause I don't have a laptop. So, who knows where I can get the laptop for free??Thanks for attention.

    e-mail: awan071179@yahoo.com

  3. I am a public school teacher in south Alabama and have had the same issues. My school does not provide laptops for teachers although some schools do. The admin. of the school can choose to order with school funds but not all do. I am in a poor Title I school and can not personally afford a laptop. With the need out there I am shocked that with companies and the government trying to better public education teachers are unable to get free laptops to use for educational purposes. Please email if you find a source.

  4. I need free laptop for working as teacher at madrasah aliyah negeri kisaran in Indonesia. I wish buy one laptop, new or 2nd. But My salary not enought. please Bill Gates, give one laptop for me.(from Indonesia)

  5. I am an English teacher who tried to avail of a free laptop since I cant provide for my own, as of now. I hope I can secure one. Thanks.

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