Laptop Requirement
New for 2008! All incoming freshman seeking teacher certification will be required to have a Mac laptop. Since 2002, our students have been using Macintosh laptops in a variety of field placements and coursework. A unique quality of our program is the multiple field-experiences we provide our pre-service teachers with. During their education courses, we ask that students develop technology-enriched activities, and bring these activities with them into the classroom to use with the students they are teaching. By removing access as a barrier, this laptop initiative has allowed us to eliminate the hurdles we once had to address with multiple platforms, and multiple versions of software. It has streamlined the process of applying technology theory to technology practice.
Research shows that access to technology raises student engagement and achievement. Laptop computers have changed the way many professors teach. They invite students to immediately access research and information as questions and interests arise during the class and beyond, allowing all students to participate simultaneously in their learning.
The teacher education discipline at St. Norbert College historically has embraced the important role that technology has in the classroom. Over the years, students have been leaders in developing multimedia projects, using cutting-edge technologies and showcasing their work through electronic portfolios. Recent graduates have commented how this is a unique quality to the St. Norbert teacher education program, and how in some cases, helped secure their job.
We believe that 1-to-1 mobile computing will offer our students the 24/7 access they need to technology in order to be the most effective teacher possible.
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