Hello Fellow Technology Junkies,
I stumbled upon this article and it brings up the ever-present debate of technology in the classroom. It examines the quintessential discussion between teachers, parents, students, and how technology seems to wiggle its way into the classroom. Does it have a place OVER other educational subjects like Music, Art, and Physical Education especially when integrated into curriculums from younger and younger grades? And most importantly, does it seem to be helping students more or hurting them by restricting their educational integrity?
With district budgets soaring into schools to help revolutionize student learning and performance, is it bad if it seems to be backfiring when examined by standardized tests results?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=in%20classrooms%20of%20future,%20stagnant%20scores&st=cse&scp=1
--What do you guys think? Sound off with comments!
I think integrating technology into younger grades is going to be essential for the future's admittance into an ever changing society. I had a typing class in middle school, and prior to that, my only other experience with computers was in computer class in elementary school where we just played games like Oregon Trail. Without this typing class, I don't think I'd ever have learned how to type. Without this knowledge, writing my essays would take hours instead of minutes. If we're going to require our students to type essays instead of write, and if we are to prepare them to enter society as adults, we have to prepare them every way possible. Should this take place over other work? Absolutely not. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be integrated when possible. Not to mention, subjects like music and art could use computers to make music and art. Physical Education is really the only class where it can't be used, BUT it could be used in health class. I know we once used computers to make pamphlets about drug safety and safe sex. I can't see how this will restrict educational integrity.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this article shows a wide variety of concerns, but specifically, the conerns with why the test scores haven't gone up, despite integrating technology, is a very important one to address. While technology in most forms can be useful in any classroom (Greg, even Phys Ed could benefit from videos to demonstrate techniques or smartboards to demonstrate the rules for games), if we rely on technology too much as teachers, we are not doing any actual service to our students.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically in English classrooms, we have to teach students grammar and spelling, two skills that are negatively impacted by technologies such as Microsoft Word, which only correct spelling and grammar without explaining why it needs to change. In terms of reading, the internet has an infinite amount of information - correct and false - to read, but without teaching students inferencing, critical thought, how to use context clues, and/or how to relate information to everyday life, students are lost in the metaphorical sea of information without a life raft.
Perhaps this is why reading test scores have stagnated? Technology is great, but we need teachers to do more than just use technology in classrooms. We still need to teach skills and strategies, along with the technologies.
I agree with Greg, technology needs to be incorporated in the classroom for young students. Younger grades are fortunate enough to have the luxury of tying technology to the curriculum. While test scores suffer, it is necessary to educate the students about the positive and negative affects of technology. I think we can integrate technology in just about anything, which is necessary because of the fast paced society we live in.
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