Laptops in our classrooms. Help or Hindrance?

Please read the story below:
As soon as Tom enters the classroom he takes out his laptop and checks the class webpage to pick up any files that may have been left by the teacher. These files may include writing prompts, learning centers, digital worksheets and other media files. He checks his calendar to ensure that the assignments and homework are up-to-date. Then he checks the ‘morning sponge’. This is an activity that the teacher sets up to keep the students engaged as he checks on individual students.
When the teacher is ready, he leads the class through short minilessons .At the end of the lessons, there is ‘circle time’ where small groups of students meet with the teacher to read and study and ‘independent time’ where they may respond to writing prompts based on the lesson, complete digital worksheets or comment on a blog about a book the class is reading.
During recess breaks, the students engage in non-instructional activities using their laptops. For example, Tom goes online and enters ‘kid-friendly virtual worlds’ like Club Penguin. After recess, he logs on to Kidbiz mainly to read an article set at his reading level. He is assessed by writing constructed responses that were provoked by ‘thought questions’ based on the article.
After completing Kidbiz activities, there is a class discussion based on everyone’s responses. They then engage in writing instruction where they have a buddy that they IM (Instant Messenger) about the given writing topic. Tom uses Inspiration to organize and brainstorm his story and he uses built-in thesaurus, spelling and grammar to revise. His peers evaluate his work electronically and after several revisions, Tom posts his writing on the class bulletin board.
At the end of the day, Tom picks up his homework from the server and goes home with his laptop in his bookbag, ready for out of school learning.
So colleagues, what do you think? Fact or Fantasy?



Reference:
Barone,D., & Wright, T.E., (2008-9). Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies. The Reading Teacher, 62(4), p. 292-303.