Introduction
Recently I was asked to hypothetically plan 'the ultimate computer lab' and was given a budget of $40,000 for the project.
For the purposes of this exercise, I chose to focus this project on a private school that offered the British curriculum, foundation stage one to year six.
It is very easy to get carried away when planning such a project, especially when selecting the technology for the learning space. There are two fundamental questions that should guide such a project:
Who will use the learning environment?
What is the purpose or goals of the new learning environment?
Identified Population
For the purposes of this exercise, I will assume that the school has issued Apple MacBooks and iPads to all of its staff members and has implemented shared carts of iPads for use in the foundation stage. A student bring your own iPad strategy had been deployed from year one onwards.
If you are planning such a project, it is imperative that you take into consideration the existing teaching and learning device strategy and infrastructure set up of your school. All technologies need to mesh together to form a complete and cohesive digital teaching and learning ecosystem.
Purpose and Goals of the New Computer Lab
The second key question that should drive the creation of a computer lab is... what will it be used for?
This question will also guide the decisions that are made concerning what type of physical set-up would be best to meet the purpose and specific goals of your project.
You will need to take into consideration what type of set-up would work best for the intended purpose and goals of the new learning environment...
I personally feel that the term 'computer lab' is outdated. When computers were first being introduced into schools, they were done so by setting up dedicated computer labs. These rooms housed desktop computers and teachers needed to book the space for their students to gain access to the technology. This setup provided very limited access to the devices and these spaces were very hard to use for any other take other than to use the desktops that had been deployed in these learning spaces.
Contemporary schools now have access to laptop computers and tablet devices. I feel that there is still a place for desktop computers, with their larger monitors and easier to update hardware. However, this type of device lends itself to specialist design labs in middle / high school / secondary school settings.
For the purposes of this exercise, four existing shared spaces will be repurposed into 'innovation spaces': 2x key stage 1 spaces and 2x key stage 2 spaces. The overall goal of the new spaces will be to help students access equipment and learning experiences that will help them to develop skills in line with the computing programmes of study for key stages one and two (United Kingdom Department of Education, 2013). To make full use of the Apple technologies that are available within the school, equipment will be selected that can be used with these devices and that can add value to the Apple supplied free coding resources (Apple, 2021).
Chosen Technology
Now that the purpose and goals of the new innovation spaces have been defined, we can move on to select the technology for this project. Table 1 provides a concise overview of the equipment that will be deployed across the innovation spaces. Differing technologies will be deployed in the key stage one and key stage two areas and these will be identified in the estimated budget section.
Table 1
Overview of the Technologies Being Deployed
| Digital Screens | 75-85" TVs that can mirros Apple devices | Various |
| Apple MacBook Air | future proof the KS2 spaces | https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/ |
| LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 Sets | Can be used with Apple iPads in the KS1 areas | https://education.lego.com/en-gb/products/lego-education-wedo-2-0-core-set/45300#wedo-20-core-set |
| LEGO Education Mindstorm EV3 Sets | Can be used with Apple iPads in the KS2 areas | https://education.lego.com/en-gb/products/lego-mindstorms-education-ev3-core-set-/5003400#lego-mindstorms-education-ev3 |
| Spheros | Robotic balls that can be used with Apple iPads in the KS1 areas | https://sphero.com/ |
| Class VR Solutions | Mixed reality solution that can be used in the KS2 areas | https://www.classvr.com/ |
| Padcaster | Video production solution for iPads. 1x kit per key stage | https://padcaster.com/ |
In regards to software, free applications are available for all of the above hardware. The school will need to deploy the new applications onto their staff devices. If the student devices are being managed by a mobile device management (MDM) solution, this can also be done by the schools IT department. If not, a hyperlinked document can be sent to students asking them to download the required applications.
For the purposes of this exercise, existing movable chairs, tables, and storage solutions will be used.
Estimated Budget Breakdown
Table 2 provides an overview of the estimated budget for the project, including technologies, furniture, and miscellaneous items.
Table 2
An Estimated Budget for the Project
Summary
During this post, I discussed how I would plan the 'the ultimate computer lab' for a hypothetical school given a budget of $40,000.
It is imperative that the target student population and the overall educational purpose and goals for the new learnings space (or multiples spaces in this example) guide and frame any decisions that are made.
Technology leaders need to take into account existing teaching and learning device strategies, key systems, and infrastructure when making their decisions. There needs to be a synergy and cohesiveness in the digital teaching and learning ecosystem that is organically and carefully nurtured and grown within a school.
References
Apple. (2021). Teaching coding. https://www.apple.com/ae/education/k12/teaching-code/
United Kingdom Department of Education. (2013, September). Computing programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239033/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Computing.pdf