After a couple of weeks off, Ben is back....with another Ben! That's right! Pete has the episode off, so I had the opportunity to ask Ben Tomlinson, a former teacher in the district, a few pointed questions dealing with laptops, 1 to 1 computing, and how to bring more collaborative work into a high school classroom. We bounce through a few questions left over from our beginning of the year list from our high school teachers, question Ben about his thoughts on smart watches, and spend a good deal of time discussing the significance of every student having a device vs. every student having access to a device through shared or collaborative models for learning.

Timestamps for this week's questions:

0:41 Pete isn’t here!

3:05 Someone asks Ben Tomlinson about creative ways to manage laptop carts at the high school.

6:55 It sounds like a party going on in the Tech Department

7:30 What happens if we guarantee every high school teacher a specific number of computers, rather than a full cart?

9:30 Is the model of 1:1 technology use in education a gimmick?

13:07 Does Ben Tomlinson have an example of getting students started down the collaborative path of technology use?

17:00 Stump Not Pete!

18:00 Will Ben Tomlinson be getting a Smart Watch?

Special thanks to Ben Tomlinson, the brand new Curriculum Coordinator for the Van Buren ISD, for stopping by to chat! You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Ben (@btomlinsonvbisd) on Twitter.