[K12OSN] [Bulk] Computer lab needed in Elementary school?

[Phydeaux]

> It is MUCH cheaper to build centralized login servers with LTSP servers & thin
> clients in all the classrooms, where the students get their own environment no
> matter which machine they login on.

I'd agree -- and without sounding like I'm piling on too much I'd like to add
an additional few points that have not yet been made.  In our K-8 school kids
lose all sorts of stuff of their own.  Giving them computers to move around
with is just asking for trouble.  We can't use wireless mice or keyboards
because they would disappear or get mixed up.  Wired  mice and keyboards can't
walk away by accident.  Why then would we use a wireless laptop/netbook
computer?  They would be dropped or lost quite easily.  The portability of
these machines is lovely, but it is also expensive.  The bang-for-your-buck
sweet spot is definitely not with portable machines.

If you don't want to take a lab approach, sprinkle machines in twos or
fours around the school.  Our school has a multi-age open classroom-like
setting. With several sets of two or four machines throughout the building,
and LTSP letting them log in from anywhere, the kids love the way things
are set up.  It sure beats worrying about losing or dropping machines, or
worrying about floppy disks, USB sticks, batteries, or plugging in, etc.
The machines are there and just plain work.  When it comes down to it,
that's what they really need.

reb