Computer access is an absolutely essential part of the educational process. The Internet is a gold mine for information, collaboration and publishing. The spread of productivity software such as word processors and Power Point has revolutionized the way students do their homework. Computers are also addictive and distracting social hubs. Whether students should have access to laptops in class is a confusing question, with research strongly supporting the pros and cons. Ultimately, it's how laptops are used in the classroom, not their presence, that defines their value. Studies of student laptop use cover a wide range of classroom variables in an effort to quantify benefits and/or negative outcomes. Studies conducted include research from elementary to university level, with high- and low-achieving students, and in geographic areas with concentrations of high and low socioeconomic status. Dunleavy and Heinecke (2008) summarize these studies well: “The results suggest that one-on-one laptop instruction can improve student achievement under certain conditions. » Although this statement is rather vague, it is the key to putting these studies into perspective. The ultimate task is to identify teaching styles and classroom environments in which laptops are beneficial and those in which laptops are a distraction. Laptops have the potential to revolutionize the way teachers teach. They give teachers the opportunity to create relevant learning activities that directly involve students in the learning process. Unfortunately, existing teaching practices often limit this potential. In studying the effects of laptop use on educators' techniques, Miller (2008) notes that "most educators have undergone a superficial experience...... middle of paper...... eedingsof Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference2008, 1211 -1216. Mouza, C. (2008). Learning with laptops: Implementation and results in a disadvantaged urban school. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 40(4), 447-472.Rogers, D. (2009). Laptops deemed beneficial to classroom experience. The daily targum. Retrieved from http://www.dailytargum.com/university/laptops-deemed-beneficial-to-classroom-experience-1.1636525 Warschauer, M. (2008). Laptops and literacy: A multi-site case study. Pedagogies: AnInternational Journal 3, 52-57. Wurst, C., Smarkola, C. and Gaffney MA (2008). Pervasive use of laptops in higher education: Effects on student achievement, student satisfaction, and constructivist measures in specialized and traditional classrooms. Computers and education 51(4), 1766-1783.