I found an interesting article today, about the use of one-to-one student/computer ratios in elementary schools. Although much of the article consists of detailed data and explanations of how statistics were calculated, it is still worth a read. A few questions arose as I was reading about this type of technology implementation. First of all, I wondered how realistic it was. In order to avoid discrimination based on wealth, these computers would have to be provided by the schools, with no increase in student fees. However, funding in all areas is an issue for schools, let alone in an area that may not significantly improve student achievement. But the conclusion that one-to-one laptop use did not improve student achievement is questionable. It is dependant on the definition of “student achievement” and the means by which improvement is measured. Standardized testing may not reflect the true changes brought by technology, such as improved media literacy or technology-related problem-solving skills. An appropriate control is impossible for this type of study, due to the individuality of students and teachers.
I also wondered what implications one-to-one computers would have for homework. Since students would have all of their data on a laptop which they could take home, there would be no excuse for not completing homework. Would this lead to increased expectations and unrealistic workloads? It is important to provide adequate class time, and some educators are beginning to steer away from homework altogether. Alfie Kohn has many interesting insights about homework, and I tend to agree that quality class time is more effective than large quantities of repetitive drill work at home. Kohn also points out that homework can detract from other important activities, such as family time, and is a significant source of stress. In implementing a one-to-one laptop system, teachers would need to be careful to maintain balance. Just because students are able to work on assignments at home, doesn’t mean they should be overloaded with extra work.
Technology is sparking many new ideas about learning. Although teachers may require further training in order to use technology effectively, once these skills are learned, many opportunities are opened for professional development. Computers are a valuable resource which teachers can use to stay up-to-date with emerging research and to interact with other educators. Technology will undoubtedly trigger revolutionary change in education, as it has already done in most other areas of society- it is only a matter of time, and we have the power to speed the process!
selingma Said:
on June 12, 2008 at 12:20 am
Interesting Post. I personally like the idea of one-to-one student laptop ratios, and I also don’t think it will be too far away. I think that the point that you make about the possibility of too much work being expected to be done at home is a good point. Maybe one solution to this could be that students have one-to-one laptop use while at school, but they do not get to take the machines home. This would solve the excessive homework assignments, and may also help with costs of repairing laptops. Laptops can be expensive to repair, and are more prone to damage because of the portability. If a student is taking a laptop home everyday repair costs may become fairly large.
I do think it is important that technology is available for everyone, and one-to-one access is a great way to accomplish this.
Jenna Said:
on June 12, 2008 at 4:29 am
I completely agree with you that weather or not students succeed or improve completely depends on how we define achievment. Achievments will variey from student to student, and thats something I think more educators need to gain an understanding of. Too often do we categorize and label our students, we need to see our students as the individuals they are.
I also liked that you commented on homework loads. Homework is an issue we argued about in EPS390 with our prof. Some educators disagree with giving homeework, but I think most give it. When teachers assign homework, I think they have to know their students and how much they can handle. From my pre-internship experience, it seems to me that their are some students who could not mentally or physically handle homework, but many students lack the responsability to even atempt to complete homework. This is where I have an issue. While I was teaching in an average middle class school in Regina, I assigned homework only once. The students knew when it was due and what my expectations were, yet only about 5 out of 28 were complete on presentation day.
Now you might be thinking, maybe the assignment was too difficult. Well I was in a grade 6/7 split and the assignment was to design a poster about themselves and where their families came from. I gave 2 or more hours of class time to work on the posters and then it was homework. The fact that only 5 students were able to present on time seemed to me like a lack of responsability and a lack of caring. Once the posters were complete, they looked great and I posted them up in the hallway, but getting them done was a real challenge. There must be a way to make our students more accountable. Docking late marks didn’t seem to help.
In Schools Today: A response to One-on-one Computer/Student Ratios | the beginning Said:
on June 12, 2008 at 4:34 am
[...] completely agree with April’s post that weather or not students succeed or improve completely depends on how we define [...]
Corinne Said:
on June 12, 2008 at 6:00 am
Wow, I can’t believe so few students had their posters ready on time. The only thing I remember, from my middle school and high school years, is teachers giving zeros on assignments handed in late- unless an extension was given.
Tech Task #7 | the beginning Said:
on June 22, 2008 at 12:18 am
[...] some of which turned into my own blog posts. Just as In Schools Today was a response to one of April’s posts, that I just had to copy and paste into my own [...]
breabexporo Said:
on August 3, 2008 at 6:56 am
Thanks for the post