Technology in Classrooms - Skyla

Technology in Classrooms

            Cell phones have recently become an issue in High Schools and Universities across the nation. Christine Johnson said that her “blackberry is a little out dated but the ipad is to complicated to use” (Johnson). So she sticks with her cell phone most of the time.  Cell phones are considered a distraction in the classroom; because students are using them for non educational purposes during class time. Such as taking pictures with friends, sending a text message, sometimes even making or answering a phone call while in class. Despite all the distractions of cell phones, they should be encouraged for educational use in secondary and post secondary classrooms. The reason I would choose to have cell phone use in post secondary and secondary classrooms is because the maturity level is higher and kids are able to understand right from wrong easier. This more mature age of students should know the restrictions on what they can and can not do while in a class room.

            We all know cell phones can cause students to lose focus in classrooms, what if there was a way to eliminate the distraction and focus on the right way to use cell phones during class.   Would you consider it to be a good or bad idea? At my high school, cell phones aren’t banned by any means; teachers use them just as much as students do. Why ban cell phones when “75% of all kids ages 12-17” have them? (Ferriter). Students are going to find a way to use them one way or another banned or not, yes there should be restrictions on when cell phone use is appropriate or not, and consequences if these restrictions are broken. Every school is going to have a different opinion on what they think about cell phones in class rooms, but in my opinion a majority of staff members would agree that cell phones can and do help students.

            There are many ways that studies have shown that cell phones can and should be encouraged in a classroom. If teachers are worried about students saying they are using their cell phone for educational use and not actually doing it William Ferriter stated that there are ways to “break down negative attitudes toward cell phones as learning tools” (Ferriter). Here are a few examples of what he suggested to try: Make cell phones visible in the classroom, and make the students have them on there desk face down. You can use cell phones to replace needed supplies, such as timers, cameras, dictionaries and so fourth. Schools could save money on certain supplies because majorities of the student body already have them at the tip of their fingers all day long and ready to use. “Efforts to eliminate cell phone use are also short sighted, especially in an era when fewer dollars are available for classroom supplies” (Ferriter).

            Schools would see a higher percentage of students applying themselves if they were able to use something they love to be on. Cell phones could help students understand responsibility and how to use technology correctly and it is more then just a screw off tool. Cell phones have spell check, stop watches, cameras, calendars, and internet; everyone uses these tools daily. Not only students use these tools, staff members would use them a lot more to if they were aloud to be used more class room time.  “Technology is the ultimate carrot for students. It's something they want to master. Learning to use it enhances their self-esteem and makes them excited about coming to school”. --Fifth grade teacher.(Effects on Technology)

            Cell phones can help students and teachers in many ways; everyone will always have their own opinion and there may or may not always be a debate on weather or not cell phones are a educational tool.   I bet students would be more excited to learn about new things if they did get to use their cell phone and communicate with their teachers and fellow classmates on certain subjects without it being a big deal. Technology is a great way to get information and find new ways to learn, I think over the next few years the amount of cell phone use in the classroom will rise.

Works Cited

"Effects OfTechnology OnClassrooms AndStudents." Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html>.

Ferriter, William M. "Membership." , Policy, and Professional Development for Educators. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ascd.org/>.

Mangan, Katherine. "The Digital Campus 2011." - The Chronicle of Higher Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://chronicle.com/section/The-Digital-Campus/529/>. 

Technology and Education - Darian

 Darian Charlo

Mrs. Baldwin

Writ 101

10/21/12

 Technology and Education

What is technology? Is it the newest generation of iphones and ipads? Is it touch screen computers, and TVs? Is it wireless or controller-less video games? Or is it being able to do things that we haven’t ever done before? Doing things that never would have happened in a million years, things that people before our time probably wouldn’t even have dreamed about. According to a college edition of Webster’s New World Dictionary, first copyrighted in 1959, technology is, “ the science or study of the practical or industrial arts,” and or, “applied science.” Merriam-Webster online; a website that is updated daily, says that technology is, “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area.” So the definition of technology has changed somewhat, from referring more to science (building spaceships, improving medicine, creating robots) to simplifying our every day lives (instant communication, the ability to shop online). It is true, technology is something that is constantly evolving, because people are the ones creating technology, and people are always evolving in their thinking and interests,  but why not take advantage of it’s many uses, for the purpose of education?

Technology can be distracting, there’s no doubt about it. Cell phones and other multimedia gadgets, with their multitude of apps, allow students to get lost and totally tune out the world (and teachers). Jennifer Cox, an assistant professor of communication arts at Salisbury University, said in an article, “I understand that short attention spans crave constant stimulation. I also teach my ‘Introduction to Journalism and Public Relations’ class in a computer lab, where the siren call of online distractions is hard to overcome.” But who’s to say that the apps on the smart-phones and ipods can’t be useful? If the excess applications were gotten rid of (angry birds, instagram, jedi lightsaber, etc.) you’d end up with some pretty educational devices. There’s conversion apps, translators, apps that explain math formulas, even apps that show the constellations of any given area using a device’s camera. All of these things would be a lot of help in the classroom, to teachers and students. 

Along with the use of technology comes the possibility for the loss of basic skills, like knowing how to do manual citations, math calculations and writing (penmanship). So some might argue, “how did you find the definition of technology in that old dictionary?” Well not by using a computer. I had to know that words in a dictionary are organized alphabetically, and how did I know that? My teacher in the second grade taught me that if I wanted to know the definition of a word I had to use a dictionary, so thusly I had to know how to use a dictionary if I didn’t want to be in the dark all my life, and never know what a platypus was. But it was the most readily available tool, and the easiest to access as compared to computers which were fewer and more time consuming to use. Where as now computers and other such devices are the most efficient; it’s a lot easier to pull out an ipod and look up a word than it is to go find a printed dictionary and clumsily  search for something. 

I believe that there’s got to be a way to make technology work in the classroom, a way for it to be an asset instead of a hinderance, and Gary and Jeri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High is a great example of this. It was basically founded, “as part of an initiative by business leaders frustrated by the lack of workers qualified to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy.” The school tries to combine “technical elements with a liberal arts curriculum,” which has evidently worked very well because it has done great in evaluations; “77% of their graduates have finished or are currently enrolled in post-secondary education, including 69% of students who were the first in their family to go to college, and 67% of students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch..[and it] also scores in the top 20% of schools in the state on California’s Academic Performance Index.” The students there have a set period of time to complete paranoid-style projects, which are significant to the students themselves as well as others. So for example in biology, one of the projects was to create digital curriculum materials, that included instructional videos to be used by other teachers across the country. But of course the students would have a difficult time completing these kinds of projects without tech gear like desktop and laptop computers, audiovisual equipment and a powerful school-wide server. 

“However, as wise researchers and policy makers have long recognized, the presence of technology is no guarantee of meaningful improvement in teaching and learning. All too many schools have invested heavily in interactive whiteboards, laptops, and multimedia centers but have only seen superficial changes in practice or outcomes.”

Then what makes the school work? It’s the fact that “students are treated as active meaning makers with the capacity to do interesting and valuable work now.” The students don’t feel like they are doing work for nothing. there’s more meaning to what they accomplish. They are creating knowledge, which is different than just receiving it from someone and then being expected to use it some time later. That’s the major difference I think, that students are allowed to be responsible for what they learn. (“Differently”)

So perhaps the solution is that we must change the teaching styles (environment) so that technology can be utilized to it’s maximum potential. Having a teacher dominated environment, and then giving students computers and media devices to distract them isn’t going to work. The result from that situation will not be increased learning opportunities. Teachers must find a way to integrate technology in the classroom in such a manner as to increase the chances of student productivity and understanding to get the most out of school. Technology isn’t the enemy, it is so much a part of our lives anyway that it makes sense to incorporate it into schools. Sure technology is progressing, but so is the way we think about learning, and what it means to teach. ("Differently")

Works Cited

Cox, Jennifer B. "Reclaiming the Classroom With Old-Fashioned Teaching." The Digital Campus (2012): B24. Print.

Mehta, Jal, and Sarah Fine. "Teaching Differently...Learning Deeply." Phi Delta Kappan Oct. 2012: 31-35. Academic Search Elite. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

"Technology." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http:// www.merriam-webster.com/>.

Technology. Webster's New World Dictionary. College Edition. Ed. Joseph H. Friend and David B. Guralnik. New York: World, 1959. 1496. Print.

Cell Phones in the Classroom - Sam

Cell Phones in the Classroom

            Cell phones can  be a very handy tool to use in a number of situations, but if someone were to ask parents, teachers, and even some students if phones should be used in the classroom the answer you would probably get is no. Cell phones can be a huge distraction. It is also disrespectful to the teacher, not to mention the question of how much information are children really retaining with a disturbance of sort at their fingertips. (Kang). Although cell phones may be an issue, there is good that can come out of them. I think that cell phones should be allowed in the classroom as educational devices if rules or boundaries are met.

            The results of a study done by Pew Internet & American Life Project showed that “six out of ten children older than nine owned a cell phone.” (Kang). With numbers like this you are most likely to have classes were all but a few students have the same opportunities as others, so why not utilize the resources we have come to know. Phones range with possible capabilities. Newer phones are equipped with app access for dictionaries, photo editing and high tech calculators; you name it you can probably find an app for it. While older phones still are able to perform similar actions, what happens during a class where a student doesn’t have a phone at all? The simple answer would be to say “buy a phone”, but not all families can do that. In this case those selected students could be put into groups where their role as a member would be equally important. (Rogers).

I think when teachers are more open minded about cell phone use in the classroom students would be more respectful, due to the fact that they do not have to sneak the device. In consideration though telling students they can use their phones would lead to having individuals off course and not doing their work. What happens then? Schools and teachers who decide to have cell phone interaction should have some sort of agreement to follow. Teaching students’ acceptable use early would help eliminate future problems, but in cases where texting, facebooking, and total off track actions are being done the instructor should have every right to remove the device from the situation. To introduce the rules, sending home an agreement form where both the parent and student must sign saying they acknowledge any consequences would be an option. (Rogers). Teachers though must adhere to the rules or else the agreement will be overlooked by the students.

“The use of cell phones can be used in three major ways: 1. Audience response system, 2. Research tool, and 3. a way to collect evidence.” (Engel). Personally I believe that all three of these suggestions are fabulous! I tend to think I learn better by having some sort of hands on experience. Not only am I gaining the “trust” of my teacher and personal responsibility, I’m using my own resources. It’s great that society has reached a point where this type of interaction but not all students have the same mind set as I do, and giving them the range to work with their phones opens a lot of doors to students not working at all. Unless a teacher is standing there monitoring every action you take, text messaging, updating a status, posting a picture or even repining an image is going to happen.

In conclusion, “usage policies need to be clear including the consequences of any misuse. Students need to be instructed so they know what is being expected of them, as well as issues that could pop up such as cyber bullying.” (Engel). Parents should also play a part. As a parent they should have the duty of reminding their child of their new responsibility.

     Works Cited

Engel, George, and Tim Green. “Cell Phones in the Classroom: Are We Dialing up Disaster?.”                                     Tech Trends. March 2011: 39-45. SIRS Issues Researcher: Web. 03 Oct 2012.

Kang, Cecilia. “Two Schools of Thought: High-Tech vs. No-Tech.” Washington Post. 13 May 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 03 Oct 2012.

                                                                                                                                    

Rogers, Kipp D. “Cell Phones As Instructional Tools.” Principal Leadership. Feb 2009: 65-67.

               SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Oct 2012.  

Technology in the Classroom - Jessica

Technology in the Classroom

            Everyone has their own opinion about the use of technology in the classroom. There is always on going fights about technology being a distraction, while others saying that it is a useful tool that benefits the school, students and teachers. If you think about it everywhere we look there is someone taking advantage of technology. So why don’t we use the technology to benefit us? Although people may believe that technology is distracting in the classroom, it could be beneficial to early education students.

            Technology is all around us and taking advantage of the devices would be an intelligent idea. “Fifty-two percent of young children (0 to 8) have access to a smart phone, video, iPod, or tablet such as an iPad or Android device” (Guernsey).  To my knowledge, there are not very many schools around that do not have any technology access. Two-thirds of homes with children under the age of 12 years old have computers and Internet; over half have some type of videogame system, and large majorities have cell phones.  Stated by Guernsey, “The time is overdue for thinking about the communication technologies and interactive media that could support early education efforts in states and localities.” This should inspire people to become more active and to learn how to teach to use the helpful tools that are framing our everyday life.

            “A major goal of early childhood education is to enhance children’s cognitive skills and socialization, prerequisites for future success in schools and as adults” (Edward). Stated by Edwards, in his report, computers have been proved that they are useful for many important pieces of a child’s education, which includes: conceptual and cognitive development, literature, mathematics, and comprehension monitoring. Teaching children how to properly use technology will give then a head start to what the future may hold in front of them. Also using technology can push and motivate students to do better and learn more. Researches from the past have shown that using the technology enhances learning abilities because it is both challenging and different from the normal learning habits. (Edward) Therefore, you should see that not adding what is convenient to us is not the best idea, because it could be helpful in every way.

            Over the years we have acquired lots of technology in the classroom and it has benefitted many students, but people may argue that there are many more disadvantages that come with technology that outweigh the positives. Said by Jennifer Cox, technology can be a big distraction and it is very disrespectful to play on their technology than doing what was asked of them. And teaching young children how to use the technology will only cause them to start being disrespectful at a younger age. “Students today expect us to be entertainers, and while we find that the material itself riveting enough, many students cannot gather the same enthusiasm” (Cox).  Therefore coming to the conclusion, using technology will lead us in the wrong way and not be helpful; also it would be a major distraction not allowing them to learn the passages that is put before them.

            Although that both sides have a valid point I would side with adding technology into the classroom. Not only should we add it to the classroom but to start at a young age, because we live in the twenty first century and there is always something new coming out. Teaching the use of technology they will now understand how to use it properly, and it can also be used as a helpful tool for educational uses. In my opinion if we start using technology early enough we can teach the students how to use the technology and not be disrespectful. Respect is an important value but so is the use of technology. Now we can have the best of both words, by catching the young students we can teach them so much more than what we received in our k-12 education. They will come out on top with respect and knowledge. 

Works Cited

Edward Pan, et al. "Applying Technology To Inquiry-Based Learning In Early Childhood Education." Online Submission (2009): ERIC. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.

Guernsey, Lisa, and States Education Commission of the. "Technology In Early Education: Building Platforms For Connections And Content That Strengthen Families And Promote Success In School. The Progress Of Education Reform. Volume 13, Number 4." Education Commission Of The States (2012): ERIC. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/01/03/00/10300.pdf

Cox, Jennifer Brannock. The Digital Campus: “Reclaiming the Classroom With Old-Fashioned Teaching”. Page B24. May 4, 2012.

Online Courses - Karleigh

As technology has evolved, it has opened many avenues for more efficient and modern ways of learning.  Nowadays we are able to have online books, dictionaries and many other educational tools at our fingertips.  While many people believe that technology is a beneficial tool that can be used in an educational environment, others may disagree.  Although the growing popularity of online courses may make cheating on exams easier and less detectable, online courses and open courseware are beneficial for students working towards a degree. 

For many people who are trying to hold down a job and earn a degree, online courses are extremely beneficial.  In Open Education’s Wide World of Possibilities, Gago, a 26 year old yak herder, was able to study modern poetry online in English through Yale’s open course.  Gago was able to improve his English through this free online course without having to leave his herd to attend classes (Mangan).  Without the online classes, Gago wouldn’t have had an opportunity to improve his English or study poetry.  Some people would argue that taking online classes as opposed to taking classes at a university severs the student’s personal relationship with the professor and peers.  Although that may be partially true, the student still has to communicate with the professor and possibly even classmates.  The only difference is that communication is through e-mail instead of in person. 

  As Americans, we are very fortunate to be provided with schools that give us ample opportunity to become educated.  In many places around the world, countries don’t have the necessary resources or funds to build public schools.  If there are no schools or teachers how are citizens of those countries supposed to learn?   Fortunately, online courses give people that live in primitive areas the opportunity to become educated.  Wendy Ermold, a scientific programmer who is currently residing near the Arctic Circle, used open courseware to study quantum physics, machine learning, and computational science and engineering.  For Wendy, many of the lessons she learned through open courseware were directly pertinent to the work she does composing programs and studying ocean currents (Mangan).  Neil D’souza has brought lessons from Khan Academy and various other open-courseware companies to orphanages and soup kitchens.  He founded the group, Teach A Class, which has taught math, science and English to children living in two Mongolian orphanages (Mangan). 

 Every person has strengths and weaknesses specific to common subjects taught in universities and schools.  For Julius J. Davis, physics was a subject that he had a hard time understanding.  A friend suggested that he search online for some extra classes that would help him better understand the material.  He was able to take an online course during the summer and fulfill an internship with a nonprofit organization.  Online courses were beneficial to Julius Davis because he was able to take the online course, without having to relinquish his internship.  He was also able to rewind through the lectures if he didn’t understand a concept (Mangan).    

In my experience with online classes, I found an extremely beneficial part of taking a class online is that the student has more resources.  Students that choose to take classes online are able to review assignments, study guides, lectures and other forms of material as many times as they need to grasp the lessons.  Also, online classes give a tremendous amount of flexibility.  Students who choose not take online classes don’t have the luxury to be able to go to class on their own time.  This is why online classes are great for people who work or are just trying to squeeze in a few more classes. 

Although online classes and open courseware allow for flexibility, allow people that live in primitive areas the opportunity to learn, and contribute more resources for the student to use, some people disagree that they’re beneficial to education.  Many people would argue that online classes make cheating easier, less risky, and less detectible and that online classes can be detrimental to some students grades.  For students coming directly from highly structured high school classes, online classes can be puzzling.  In order to be successful with online classes, the student has to be diligent and self-determined.  Although the curriculum isn’t different between online classes and on-campus classes, many students find online classes to be much more difficult for that exact reason (Cannon).    

As technology continues to develop, there will always be people who think traditional ways of learning benefit the student more than online classes and open courseware do.  However, online classes are a useful way for many people to earn a degree.  Attending classes during the day is very time consuming, if people have a job, kids, and an all-around busy life like many adults do, it can be very difficult for them to earn a degree.   People who aren’t fortunate enough to be surrounded by opportunities to earn an education have the chance to learn in online classes.  In my opinion, the most beneficial aspect to taking online classes is the amount of flexibility the student has.  On-campus classes are at a scheduled time either every day or certain days of the week; the student isn’t asked what time of day or what day of the week works best with their schedule.  Online classes can be completed based on the student’s time frame.  Yes, people may argue that online classes provide a more conducive environment for cheating, but I know that many online classes require exams to be proctored in order to avoid cheating. I believe that as technology progresses, education should grow along with it, if education never advanced or grew, life as we know it today would be drastically different.  Thousands’ of years ago, humans started using tools to make every-day life easier.  Technology is a tool that has continued to grow over the years.  People should view technology as a tool that can make learning more efficient and modern.     

Works Cited

Cannon, Jasemine. "Online Classes: For Better or Worse." N.p., 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

Mangan, Katherine. "Open Education's Wide World of Possibilites." The Chronicle of Higher Education (2012): n. pag. Print.

Young, Jeffrey R. "Online Classes See Cheating Go High-Tech." Chronicle of Higher Education. N.p., 3 June 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.