Technology in the Classroom

"The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom"

http://www.edudemic.com/education-technology-pros-cons/

"Student learning with laptops: Measuring the effectiveness of laptops in American classrooms"

http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/student-learning-laptops-measuring-effectiveness-laptops-american-classrooms 

My take away from both of these articles is that successful implementation of technology in the classroom is contingent on the level of support teachers have in implementation. “Student Learning with Laptops” cites the example of Birmingham, Alabama, where one-to-on laptops were implemented and then abandoned within three years. The reason for this was the fact that there was no support for implementing the devices in the classroom and no tech support so that the devices themselves became unstable over time. 

While some emphasis is placed on the willingness of teachers to learn and apply the technology, to me this is a function of the environment in which the teacher works. Most teachers I have interacted with are willing to at least consider new technology if it allows them to teach more efficiently and more effectively reach their students. Granted—I didn’t say all. However, if there is an environment which supports the professional development necessary to successfully implement a tool, it tends to get used. The exception to this case is when the teachers perceive the change to be a case of change for change’s sake. But again, this is a failure of the administration to communicate the true value of the change.

“Pros and Cons” lists the expected benefits—timely data, access to targeted and relevant information tailored to the student’s needs and interests, aids to differentiated learning, adaptive to multiple learning styles and adaptive assistance for special needs students. These benefits underscore what I have said about most teachers willing to consider new technology—it helps them reach their students. 

Of the cons listed, Privacy, distractions, and plagiarism all have technology workarounds. The concern about teachers being made redundant by technology seems a little extreme since so much about successful education is based on the relationships teachers develop with their students. I don’t totally dismiss the concern, and neither does the article. However, if replacing teachers with technology were to happen, there would have to first be fundamental shifts in how our society values education. Again, not implausible, but such shifts would have to be accompanied by much more disturbing changes in our society.

The fifth con, the technological divide, is much more troubling. I have seen this first hand. In the classrooms that I observe where there are one-to-one notebooks, the students who don’t have access to the internet at home don’t use their Chromebooks. They are technologically adept as seen by how often we have to chase them off their smartphones, and by the work they accomplish when directed to use their Chromebooks in class.  As pointed out in “Pros and Cons”, the use of libraries/media centers are not a complete solution. Yes, access is limited, but more important, with the proliferation of Saturday School and referrals to Academic Resource Centers to do mandatory homework, staying after school to do homework is perceived as punishment by the students. The use of media centers is also perceived as stigmatizing for students who don’t have, or can’t afford home internet. Having to stay after school in the media center subtly reminds the students of their poverty.

By high school, the students who are doing well in school have begrudgingly bought in to the concept of homework. They may not enjoy it, but they understand that it is usually for a purpose. (And in the cases where it is assigned for the sake of assigning homework, the students understand that the issue is with the teacher, and not the concept of homework itself.) However, if the student is going to do homework, they want to do it in a comfortable place, with their music playing, and their feet on the furniture. Media Centers just don’t provide the unstructured environment the students feel at home in. And again, the issue goes back to the support that administration and policy makers give to making technology a success in the classroom.