Assignment 4- Buying a Computer
Sitting at a desk all day is a thing of the past. Children need to have hands on participation in order to stay excited about learning. Their computer should not be mounted to a table top, but rather move around with them. A durable, reliable, affordable laptop is what all-fifth grade classrooms at our school need. That is why the HP Pavilion dv6z is the best investment to make when buying our computers.
The durable plastic cover of the HP Pavilion dv6z is what makes it so appealing to me for the fifth grader students. It is very hard to scratch or make marks on the cover. I want the students to feel like this is their computer too and not be afraid of damaging it when carrying it around the room. I’m suspecting this computer will be used almost daily by the children so I was excited to hear the the keyboard was also made out of durable plastic and had very little flex when typing with pressure. Reviews of the dv6z said it felt “rock solid” which is exactly what young kids need in a computer.
In today’s tough economy it is more important then ever to watch our spending. The HP Pavilion dv6z is priced at a reasonable six hundred dollars. This is also including a printer with a mail in rebate. The Dell Studio XPS that is similar to this HP is priced just over a thousand dollars. That is about four hundred dollars worth of savings just because of the brand name and a few features we won’t need in our classrooms.
Extra amenities that this computer offers that will help in the classroom include a built in video camera, Altec speakers and great battery life. I’m excited about the built in video camera because it will be a fun and easy way to get as many guest speakers into the room. I’m hoping to set of video conferences for the students to talk to people in the areas were learning in class. The Altec speakers are supposable the best out there as far as volume and clarity are concerned. I think the teachers will appreciate the whole class being able to hear with ease when showing examples on the screen. A great battery life is often taken for granted when picking out a computer but in our case it is very important. Students don’t want to have to constantly sit by an outlet when using a computer and with the HP Pavilion dv6z it shouldn’t be an issue if charged everyday after school.
I’m excited to get new computers for the students because I think in the long run it will make learning more fun and effective for them. With all these great features I see no downsides to the dv6z and hope you consider it when making your final choices on what to get the fifth grade classrooms.
