The race is on among today's employers to identify, acquire, and benefit from the many advantages offered by electronic computers and computer systems. Grocery stores use computers to track and manage inventories; banks use computers for near-instantaneous transactions with businesses, other lenders, and their customers; manufacturing plants use computers to provide automated control over assembly lines; and countless others are using computers to simplify, streamline, and otherwise improve their lives and/or businesses. More and more of these uses will certainly be identified as computer technology improves.
It has become clear that today's children, or tomorrow's workforce, will absolutely have to possess at least some computer skills if they are to be successful. This is a growing concern of parents and educators alike, and there is already talk of a “digital divide” that will unfairly separate children into two classes: 1) those who were fortunate enough to learn computer skills in their primary or secondary education, and who are prepared for the emerging workforce; and 2) those who were not so fortunate, and who will face an uphill battle in the workforce. The divide is usually not the fault of the children, the parents, or the educators, and as such, is unfair. Instead, the reason for the divide usually stems from the costs associated with providing computers for children to study.
Primary and secondary schools (e.g., K-12) typically face tight budget restrictions, and computers are not cheap. Furthermore, many schools cannot afford the additional costs involved in setting up a computer laboratory or network, such as routing additional wiring through the building, or installing power and environmental control equipment.
Cost, however, is not the only factor limiting the number of computers currently in our schools. Another problem is the limited availability of teaching materials that may be used with such computers. Without an extensive supply of lessons and teaching materials for the computers, it is difficult for an educator to justify the cost of acquiring them. There is a need for computer-based lesson plans for students, and teaching materials that allows teachers to effectively monitor, control, and guide the students through their computer lesson plans.
There are also additional problems faced by an educator or teacher who is considering implementing computers in the classroom. One such problem is theft and/or vandalism. For those schools that have undertaken the high cost of implementing a computer system or laboratory, there is a need for measures that can protect the school's equipment from being stolen or vandalized. Another problem is the space available in the classroom. The typical computer (desktop and laptop) is large enough to occupy most of the workspace (e.g., a student's desk) that is available to the student, making the individual computer less desirable. There is a need for an educational computer system that will allow one or more students to have individual computers to work with, but which will also minimize the space occupied by such computers.
Another problem is expandability. A school's enrollment typically varies from year to year, which makes expandability a serious concern for any school wishing to install a computer network or system. There is a need for an educator's computer network to be expandable. This desired expandability is not limited to hardware. An educator's lesson plan may also need to be both up-to-date with current events, and flexible to accommodate various teaching styles.
Another problem arises due to the fact that typical computers, such as laptop computers, must be deactivated in order to change power sources and/or exchange batteries. Such a deactivation would be disruptive to an educator's lesson plan, particularly if a number of students need to undergo such a process at different times throughout a lesson. Accordingly, there is a need for a teaching system that satisfies the needs identified above, but may also minimize the disruption to the lesson plans caused by changing power sources of computers.
These concerns, along with numerous others, may be alleviated using one or more embodiments of the present invention.