Designing a Dream Modern Computer Lab


Flexible Furniture for Computer Lab (Picture source: Designing a Dream Modern Computer Lab - Essentials Magazine (edmarket.org)


Imagine if, at your workplace, you had to sign up to use a computer during an allotted time in a computer lab.

Sounds bizarre when you think of it in those terms, but that's the system that some say we've set up for most of our middle school and high school students who don't have access to computers in the classroom, where most of the work is done.

One of the key principles of instruction and learning during high school is to prepare learners for undergraduate life. Extraordinary technical innovations are establishing a progressively worldwide society of learners. Today, it is progressively normal for individuals to be anticipated to utilize the devices that are vital for efficiently collaborating and communicating knowledge throughout vast spaces.

I have been asked by our school principal to put together a proposal for a new computer lab that can serve high school students. We already have "traditional computer labs" at school but I noticed that when I take students to the assigned lab,  the student's attention is regularly more on the technology than on the planned assignment.  Based on my experiences, getting a whole class to a lab (about 20 – 24 students ) takes away from teaching time as the learners need to shift their work to the lab and review the processes and the steps they require to complete the assignment. One approach to addressing this challenge is a wireless laptop system. Wireless systems will allow learners to gain access to Cyberspace utilizing their laptops at any class.

The mobile cart carrying iTouch and netbooks

To give you a quick idea about our school; our school is a high school (9-12) grade high school in Florida.  It serves 1600 students: 81% Hispanic, 10.5% African American, 8% white, and 0.5% Asian.  100% of the student receive free meals, 35% receive ELL learning services and 4% receive ESE services. Now let me review the high school projected goals for the students. The high school goal statement clarifies that the goal of the school is to develop dynamic, motivated, and lifelong learners. To achieve the goal statement, the high school has created development objectives that include: improving the learners' attainment in a core subject to meet state benchmarks and standards, preserving students attendance on a daily basis at the state proposed rate, reducing learners’ failure rate as per the state retention percentage, improving family and social participation to assist learning, and finally, raising the number of high schools graduate every year. 


Overall Goals for any Computer Lab
Any computer lab design will aim to achieve specific goals such as creating e-safe, e-confident and re-inspired learners and establishing portable devices usage skills. another goal is to develop 21st Century facilitators of learning and enhance learners’ attainment in the core subjects and to offer the full scope of available technologies and enhance instruction and the use of technology in all core subjects. Furthermore, having such a creative design for the computer lab should increase the tech proficiency of high school teachers to enhance the delivery of the curriculum and provide faculty and students with instant access to explore resources using the Internet inside teaching spaces.
Now, let me share my ideas in regards to the new computer lab. I proposed to have Wireless systems that will permit learners and instructors to gain access to Cyberspace, printers, and other devices utilizing laptops in any room.  Even though that is not pricey as connecting the cable for each room for 20 or more students, it might be more expensive to establish fiber optical cable through the whole building to produce the necessary wireless access. The capacity and the access of the wireless may vary based on the number of laptops connected to the network (Lightbody, 2004). 

  A mobile lab will be used along with library common areas to help improve learning for the classes who need it based on a schedule. The proposed mobile lab will be the “Apple MacBook Learning Lab” (Picture 1). The modern “Apple MacBook Learning Lab” is an affordable and high-tech solution for renovating any schoolroom and turn it into a robust digital environment (Apple, n.d.).


 Apple MacBook Learning Lab as it appears in Apple advertisement. (source: Apple website)


The mobile cart built by Apple comes with options to make it simple to charge, store and carry up to 20 laptops of any size. The cart also includes a brand-new power charge display light that indicates when the laptops are completely charged. The size is reduced than the regular cart size and completely assembled (Apple, n.d.). Mobile labs can offer a resolution to issues related to regular computer workstations. The specific set-up for the mobile lab also will allow instructors to supervise students’ using a central pc to prevent off-task work and supervise navigating unsuitable materials. The station for 20 laptops will be used  The cost for “Bretford Mobility Cart” is  $1,599.95 according to the Apple website. 


Apple MacBook Learning Lab (20 computers)

To use with “Apple MacBook Learning Lab”, MacBook laptops will be used.  They are light, robust, and standard for studying. They are complete-featured notebooks with strong performance and 7 hours of battery life (Apple, n.d.).  The cost for 20 MacBook computers (2GB of RAM) in the “Apple MacBook Learning Lab” is $19,499.00 According to the Apple website. Since the provided budget was $40,000, I tried to stay within the budget with maxim benefit for high school students. Below is an estimated breakdown of the cost:

No

Description of Cost Elements

Unit Cost

Units

Total Cost

1

Apple MacBook Learning Lab (20 MacBook computers, 2GB of RAM each)

$19,499.00

1

$19,499.00

2

Bretford Mobility Cart 20

$1,599.95

1

$1,599.95

3

Software (Mac OS X- iLife)

free

-

$0,00

4

School Management System (Open source)

free

-

$0.00

5

Learning Space furniture Estimate Cost

$10,500

1

$10,500

6

Local Area Network and other expenses

$8,200

1

$8,200

 

Total

 

 

$39,798.95


The mobile lab will be stored in the media center where teachers can use it according to schedule. Apple will provide initial training free of charge, then we will start distributing materials for planned classes utilizing the school software offered on the mobile lab.  At this time, we should be revising our core curriculum; to maintain and support valuable tech incorporation by finding contemporary experiences and pursuing knowledge and concepts from core curriculum learning coaches.  

Modern-designed space for students to work. 



We will be monitoring students’ progress closely and share their data with the school management for the next academic year to determine the usefulness of the mobile lab for high school students. let me know your thoughts in the comments sections. 


References 
Introducing the new Apple Mobile Learning Labs. (n.d.). Apple.com. Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/chatterbox/us/2006/01/2475/app-1005_K12Level2Mobile.html
Lightbody, K.  (2004, Jan. 26).  Wireless networking in schools.  Retrieved from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~cumulus/wireless.htm#Buying
Starr, L. (2012, January 29). Technology Centers That Work! Education World. https://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech025.shtml


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