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With this rails increase in the use of technology, it is important to pep everyone updated and informed on how to properly use it. It is challenging for adults to go into a work place and try to learn how to work a computer or a printer if they have never used one before. It is even challenging for college students on their first day of class to try and figure out how to take notes on their brand new laptop which they have no idea how to use. Being informed on how to use technology is a valuable skill that many people lack. In the 21st century, there is no time for lacking this skill.
It is imperative that people know how to use computers and other forms of genealogy as soon as possible so they will ultimately be a more valuable asset in not only the work place, but the world. The place to start is high school classrooms. Giving high school students laptops not only gives them access to a modern way Of learning but it also increases their value outside Of the classroom. By using laptops in the classroom on a daily basis, these students are being prepared for modern day life outside of the classroom, and it will ultimately help them succeed in this world which revolves around technology.
Being prepared and aware, especially in any fast paced work environment, is very important. By allowing students access to the latest technology in the classroom, their chances are greatly increased in a competitive career field. As partners in this project, we share different experiences but the same opinion on the matter. Megan went to school in New Hampshire at Windbag High School, while Alex went to Trinity High School right up the freeway from our college. It was obvious, when Alex brought his new Macho to class, but really didn’t know how to use it.
Megan helped him with taking notes on the Macho, only because she had so much experience with the hardware. Megan had been a part of the second wave of classmates that were able to go all 4 years of high school with an assigned Macho, provided by the high school. They also provided hands on training that made navigating through your Macho feels very much natural. Again, to express the importance of this issue in our society is very important for our future generations.
Technology is not going in a backwards direction and to not experience certain tools at an early age may damper your skills later on in life. There are a multitude of schools all around the entry that are just now starting to acquire Mossbacks and pads for use in the classroom. There have been some issues associated with the program at some schools, but just as any new program, the small issues are worked out at first and the outcome will be a more comprehensive system of learning.
I. Literature Review Whether having laptops in the classroom is a good idea or not is a poplar debate topic for today’s society. Like any situation, there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument According to Barajas (2014), “We had the money to buy them, but maybe not the best implementation. It became unsustainable” (p 1). Barajas is referring to a school in New Jersey that was able to acquire technology; however, they did not know how to properly use it in the classrooms.
Not knowing how to integrate modern technology into a classroom setting is not a good enough reason to say giving students laptops is a bad idea. According to Hertz (2007), “The first step in successful tech integration is recognizing the change that may need to happen inside of yourself and in your approach to teaching’ (p 1). Hertz argues that it is in fact possible to integrate technology into the classroom if the teachers are open o learning new ways to teach while incorporating technology. Another concern is addressed by Winnie Huh in an article about laptops in the classroom.
Huh (2007) says, “The students at Liverpool High have used their school-issued laptops to exchange answers on tests, download pornography and hack into local businesses” (p 1). This article addresses some concerns that parents and teachers have about how much access their children are receiving. While it is possible to get distracted in class and find it tempting to share answers or look at inappropriate things such as pornography, it is up to he teachers to monitor that. There are also plenty of other things that students can be spending time looking up and researching.
According to an article published by the UCLA (2012) “Schools may place reasonable limits on Internet access in order to maintain a working educational environment” (p 3). Schools are able to set up blocks to inappropriate websites such as pornography. They can also motor what students are sending to each other via email and track down any student suspected of cheating. Teachers have the ability to monitor from their own laptops what every other student is owing in order to decrease problematic situations such as this one.
According to experts from Concordia (2012), ‘Vivid Internet access, children can be exposed to a world of creative ideas outside of their bubble. They can learn another language, or teach themselves how to draw, knit, or play chess. They have access to an endless array of options available, not just to help them learn, but to gain skills they might not otherwise have access to” (p 1). According to this article, there are just as many good possibilities that can come out of giving students technology. They can expand from what they are armorial used to and learn about different things instantly.
According to Saul Rockland (2003), “Developing the ability to learn independently, collaborate with peers to accomplish work, and communicate the conclusions of your work are the core of 21st century skills, and a highly valued set of competencies in the world outside of school” (p 1). Rockland recognizes the benefits in learning and teaching in a 21 SST century style. Acquiring these skills in high school is a lot easier than once you have graduated and are looking for a job. We no longer live in a world of chalkboards and hard copies.
We owe live in an age where laptops and presentations have taken over. According to Samaritan Cleaver (2014), “Despite the challenges, incorporating technology into education still has proven benefits, especially when it comes to personalized learning’ (p 1 Students and teachers have the option to personalize lesson plans or activities for specific classes and students. This can be extremely helpful for students that struggle with a certain topic such as math or English. Students can access study told 27/7 with the help of their laptops.
According to Arthur Raise (2014), “The laptop along with references ND notes is with you always and the internet libraries and other website have tools that help students’ format assignments and references in MEAL or PAP formats” (p 1 Raise is talking about how technology means 27/7 access. With laptops in classrooms, students are able to have constant access to information that is very useful while working on projects. By giving students laptops, there is a guarantee that all of them will be able to access information, so there is no excise if they cannot find it.
According to Emily Dunn, a friend who went to a high school that did not offer technology in the lassoer, “l knew how to do the basics on laptops but during my first semester in college I am finding myself struggling to learn everything my computer has to offer. Do not know how to use all of the applications yet and it is frustrating at times when cannot figure out how to create a keynote or make new folders in my documents. ” According to Bob Dawson, the assistant principal at Windbag High School, “We live in the digital age, and integrating current technology into the learning environment is only natural extension of that.
Your peers will graduate into a world with Mossbacks and PC’s and phones that are two generations improved from what is currently available. We can only guess what advantages those will present in all aspects of our daily lives. Allowing students to appropriately interact with those tools along the way best trains them for that future they will inhabit” He also goes on to state “Communication student-teacher, teacher-teacher, parent-teacher, etc. Is so much more efficient with the tools we have available.
Students at WASH can interact with their teachers far outside the traditional 7:45 – 2:15 school day. Our kids are used to asking a teacher a layering question at all hours of the day and night and in most cases hear back from our teachers quickly. Parents and students can access their assignments as they are assigned, and track student success or missing assignments or whatever very easily’. II. Methodology As a student that graduated from a technology based high school, I am able to complete participant observation for this particular topic. .NET to a high school in New Hampshire called Windbag High School. It is a brand new school and graduating in 2014 1 only the second class to go all four years here and graduate. At freshman orientation, all students are given Macho Airs. A down payment of about $250. 00 is required. Since laptops are required at Windbag High School, the school will work with you if you cannot afford it. You are able to charge the laptop but you cannot log in until the first day of school when you get your password. Every laptop is password protected, and they come with chargers and cases.
About 80% of all homework assignments are online, our books were online, and most of our notes were online. No one had to carry around a lot of books, and no one seed their lockers because all you needed to take to school was your laptop, a notebook, pen and pencil. There is a technology help center at Windbag High School, so if your laptop ever broke you could take it there and they would either fix it on the spot or they would give you a loner laptop until yours was fixed. Websites such as Backbone and twitter are blocked on the student laptops even once they leave campus.
Pornography websites and anything else deemed “inappropriate” is also blocked. In some cases we needed to use blocked websites for educational purposes. In this instance, our teacher loud call the tech department and tell them which website they needed unblocked. We would be back up in running in about five minutes. Laptops are used on a daily basis at Windbag High School. Freshman take a computer class where they learn how to use different programs on Macs and how to create projects. This is extremely helpful now being in college because I know exactly what to do when creating a project.
I do not have to struggle for hours trying to figure out how to use movie or keynote because I have been using these applications on a daily basis for the past four years. Coming from a genealogy based high school, I am very confident with my tech oenology skills. The distractions were limited during class because the teachers have the power to control our screens from their laptop. They can also see what every single student is looking at on their computer screens at all times so if someone is off task they can call them out on it.
Having technology in the classrooms at my high school really prepared us for what life is like outside Of high school. Knowing how to operate technology IS necessary for most career paths, and I strongly feel that Windbag High School helps its students stay head of the game and stand out compared to other students, whether it be applying for jobs or applying to college. Going to a technology based high school gave me a chance to learn everything from simple tasks such as typing a paper to harder tasks such as creating, editing, and publishing an movie.
I never encountered an instance where having a laptop was a problem. It only enhanced my knowledge. IV. Conclusion After extensively researching technology in the classroom and how it is used we have come to some conclusions about this topic. The biggest factor that is endearing technology from being incorporated into classrooms more quickly seems to be the fear of changing the norm. Teachers fear that students will not be able to handle the amount of freedom that technology allows. However, this is valuable knowledge that is critical to life in the 21st century.
With everything revolving around technology it is important that people know how to use it properly. Laptops offer resources that were not available twenty years ago and we live in an age where this must be taken advantage of. To have so many tools available to help students be more successful in not only school, but life, and not use all of them is a shame. The only way to get better at using technology is to actually use it. Am grateful that I got an opportunity to learn how to properly use technology in high school.
Now that I am in college I am not struggling like some other people may be. Overcoming the challenge of technology will only happen if students have access to it on a daily basis in the classroom. Regular training and hands on experience are essential in accomplishing goals and reaching new levels. This subject has been discussed on a national level and some may not think that this is a big deal. The surge of technology in the last 10 years will only be a glimpse of what is to come in the next 10 years.
I think it’s only right that the next generation Of doctors, surgeons, technicians, engineers, and etc. Have the adequate level of proficiency in certain devices and technology. I feel fortunate to be alive at a very exciting time in our society. We have a wealth of technology at our convenience and if used correctly, can make our lives a lot more ergonomic and economic. Thank you for your consideration on this very special topic and we look forward to the day when Mossbacks or whatever pots are incorporated in classroom across our country.