After I attended the National Educational Computing Conference in San Antonio someone asked me what the next big thing in educational technology would be. Of course, digital whiteboards, students response systems and course management systems like Moodle are still the big, however the new technology that will take schools by storm are mini-laptops also known as mini-notes.

These little laptops are the size of a small book and are perfect for students. Many companies are gearing these mini-laptops toward students. They are durable, provide a real PC experience, are student friendly, and are full of educational features. Furthermore, they are very inexpensive compared to their big brother the laptop. Most companies are selling their mini-laptops for less than $500, which means that they will get even cheaper as popularity and competition increase.

This could mean that we are not far away from a realistic movement toward 1 laptop per child. Schools like ours have been trying to get regular laptops into the hands of students for the last few years. However, storage, maintenance and portability are issues that limited regular the use of the laptops by students. Mini-laptops might just solve all those issues and make a paperless classroom a reality. M&A is one example of a company that gears their mini-laptops towards students. There are many other companies that are getting into the mini-laptop business including HP, Asus, Fujitsu, Everex and 2go PC.

Before buying a mini-laptop for every student in your board schools should try them out in a few classrooms where teachers are keen on integrating technology into their classrooms. This way problems can be solve and a plan can be developed to properly integrate other mini-laptops into your school.

Lucas Kent is an experienced educator and author of 6 Steps to Success in Teaching with Technology which in now available on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and many other online bookstores.

His website http://MrKent.Net - Education Technology Made Simple is designed to help schools and educators implement technology effectively into their educational practices.

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