Technology in the classroom is vital, and Steve Job (Boomer, 2013) said it best, “If they’d be only one computer in every school, some of the kids would find it, and it would change their lives.” The local school district is a firm believer in this quote by Steve Jobs, however continuing to use an furnish the pupils throughout the school district with an Apple MacBook Air not so much. The continued rising cost of repairs along with rental contracts ending, the school district in now on the hunt for a more affordable one-to-one laptop for the students to use. Research is currently being conducted to determine the course of action the Technology Department will recommend to the school board. There are two types of research the technology department can perform to make their recommendations to the school board are qualitative or quantitative research. This paper will address the quantitative research that the technology department can use to support their recommendations.
Specific Quantitative Methods Regression Analysis, Linear Programing, and Data Mining are three specific quantitative research methods the local school district technology department. The three specific methods consist of Regression Analysis - the use of complex statistical equations. The analytical equations are used to estimate the impact one or more factors may have on an outcome. Linear Programming - explores the correlation of available data to identify any underlying, unmeasured factors
As chair of the committee charged with the recommendation for the purchase of new computer equipment, I will detail a suggested plan for this $50,000 project at Central High School. The high school has 1000 students in four grade levels (9th through 12th), and has approximately 60 and 20 supporting staff. An inventory of the computers at the whole school was conducted to understand what is currently available. There is currently one computer lab per grade level in the school with 22 computers each, allowing for each grade use of this for one period per day. There are also two computers in each classroom (one for student use, one for teacher use) as well as a bank of computers in the library. There are also individual computers for the guidance counselors, nurse, principals and assistant principals, and office staff. As the inventory was being done, a survey was passed out to all of the staff asking where the needs were greatest and what specific equipment was lacking. The overwhelming desire of the majority of the teachers was more computers in the individual classrooms, specifically in the math and science rooms as a lot of current information was required and there was a lot of competition for its use. There was a great desire to be flexible and move the computer from place to place, such that a laptop computer or tablet computer was preferred over a desktop.
In defense of laptops in the classroom” Summary/Analysis/Response (SAR) Paper Summary “In defense of laptops in the classroom” written by Rebecca Schuman, talks about the issue of why computers should be allowed in a college classroom. Schuman explains how people of the new generation use computers in classrooms doing almost everything in college now, rather it be taking notes or accessing course material, and it's more affordable for poorer students. Analysis Schuman attempts to use logos, structuring of her article, and has a good purpose to persuade readers of her agreement. Schuman wrote this article “In defense of laptops in the classroom” in order to persuade professors why computers should be allowed in the classroom and how you can combat them if the student isn’t paying attention, plus they are more affordable for poorer students because they’re covered by financial aid. Schuman focuses on this group of audience primarily because some professors do not like computers in their classroom rather it be because the student isn’t paying attention or is using the computer for non-class related things. Schuman attempts to reason the discussion of why computers should be allowed in the class is that it’s completely up to the student whether they use it for good or not. Schuman makes the point early on that she feels that the computer is not faulty, but rather the student who makes the decision on what use to use the computer for. Schuman exemplifies this problem when she
Hernando County has a technology initiative; however, within the each classroom it can be hard to obtain, due to lack of technology. Within Challenger K8 most classrooms have about 2 working computers in the elementary grade levels. In middle school there are classrooms with no computers. We have 5 computer labs that can be scheduled for daily use and then scheduled for testing. Through our community partners the school has received 4 smart boards, and an iMac Lab. Our media person just received a grant for a class set of ipads. Some teacher have bought there own for students to utilize within the class. Hernando County also provided a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy for schools to use at their discretion. The middle school uses BYOD on a daily bases for informal formative assessments, games, and engagement. Teachers also conduct surveys at the beginning of the year to understand what technology is at the student finger tips at home. O’Neal suggests, “it is critical that we look at the use
This comes as a surprise as the budget was set early last school year, prior to Mrs. Kozniewski taking the helm of this department. I was pleasantly surprised that there was money in the budget for the addition to each school’s computer inventory. Each elementary school received a set of 30 Windows split-screen Notebooks to be housed on a cart to be signed out by teachers for classroom use. At the middle school level, they have 300 laptops available in carts referred to as C.O.W.s (Computers on Wheels). At the high school level, they added a Mac lab to be used primarily be the art department. They also provided the high school with Chromebooks on a cart.
We believe that the following factors are shaping the use of technology in our school:
Technology has evolved rapidly in the past decades and has impacted society in both positive and negative areas. Specifically, the educational setting has embraced technology by providing teachers with a variety of tools such as computers and led projectors to engage students in the material. In addition, many schools have provided students their own laptop to use during the school year to develop the technological, critical thinking and cooperative learning skills to compete in an increasingly technologically developed society both nationally and internationally.. Teenagers are growing so much in their technology skills they pay less attention to their surroundings and education.
Twenty-first century society is constantly presented with exciting advances in hardware and software technology. Use of technology in CCT 109 classrooms should be allowed to capitalize on these advances and challenge the learning status quo. Technology’s adoption encourages rethinking of how information is acquired and processed, how people learn, how they are empowered, what jobs will be in highest demand, and what the nature of learning and useful information is. With the increasing accessibility, affordability, and popularity of laptops and tablets, it is essential for students, professors, and institutions to welcome these devices in the classroom. Technology’s benefits to the professor, student, and society far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.
From my very first observation I could tell that technology played a huge role in Ms. Felder-Way’s classroom. She found ways to integrate technology into almost every lesson. All of the students were assigned Chromebooks which were purchased by the district. In the classroom there was a SMART Board, two desktop
In the article "Can Students Have Too Much Tech?" Susan Pinker explains the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. Her argument is supplemented by Studies from Duke University and Stanford University. She also utilized the history of the One Laptop per child nonprofit, along with her own research and opinions.
In Texas students test scored were being tested and compared to the use of technology in the classroom. They used at-risk students who fell into specific categories to be the test group. These were students who have failed this type of test in the past. One teacher received eight classes worth of these at-risk students and used technology integration every day. The idea was to try to link the use of technology to passing the state English test. By using at-risk students the author had a wide range of test subjects, which included: students with low grades, not maintaining above a C average, student is pregnant or a parent, in an alternative program, student dropped out of school, has limited English proficiency, troubled home life and has family issues or homeless. The author wanted to find out if a technology-rich environment had an effect on state mandated scores of students. Her test subjects were the at-risk students.
McAllen school district in Texas recently spent twenty million dollars on I-pads and I-pods for students. The funding for the school district is coming from a combination of local funds, federal grants, and stimulus money. The schools in that area are considered some of the poorest in the nation(Ryan Holeywell). In schools around the world the students are starting to use technology in the classroom such as I-Pads, I-Phones, and other types of devices. Technology has changed Students day to day life, it has modified how and what students are taught negatively and positively.
My computer; it’s where I complete everyday tasks, it’s where I go to in the need of help, it’s where I can extend my knowledge. My Mac Book Pro contains so much data for all of my school projects, pictures and documents. I can look up a how-to video or research data for an essay with a touch of my fingertips all within seconds. With its stylish silver coating and slim design, I can take it anywhere at anytime. I, as a student and like many others are completely dependent on technology like computers for work, school, recreational use, etc. Everywhere you go you see people texting away or surfing the web. Teachers, as for yourself, use computers to take role, enter grades, construct worksheets and do a whole lot more. Technology is where most
Before a school approves of technology usage in school, some factors to consider would be
The first thing the new board member needs to due to transition her Board of Education over to the practice of evidence-based decision making is stress the importance of data collection before making decisions. The case study is littered without subpar decisions based on acting without considering evidence. For example, the Board hires outside contractors without a bidding process. How can they be assured that the contractor will do a quality job at a competitive price without bidding? Before all major decision the Board Member needs to request that the Superintendent and their staff research all relevant data in order to make a decision. In addition, the Board Member needs to reach
Computers and technological devices have been heavily used in millions of elementary classrooms throughout the world. While many people believe this is a beneficial thing some think it is taking over the traditional ways of learning and damaging their social interaction. All the colors and sounds on the screen attract children and make them think that what they are learning is fun and enjoyable. Using computers in the classroom is very beneficial, but it should not be replacing traditional ways of education. As Elizabeth Bohnhorst, author of Floppy Disk Fallacies, stated “…computers are being used more and more frequently as a substitute for books, blackboards, and in some cases, the teachers themselves (251-252)”. Students will soon not have the need to bring pencils, paper, and even a backpack to class because everybody will be using computers as a means of learning. Moreover, computers should be used only as a tool to assist learners and make certain tasks accomplishable more efficiently while also keeping traditional ways of learning.