Discussion Session 3 (
A quote
from "Laptop Learning", an article in the July 2002, American School
Board Journal, provides the starter for this week's discussion. Read and react:
"We don't think technology will ever replace teachers. But teachers who
can use the technology will replace those who can't use it because it's here to
stay."
Response to Discussion Topic on Thu
Hi Jona,
I enjoyed reading the article "Laptop Learning" because I think the
time is coming when students will be regularly asked to search the Web for information
for research projects. My twelve year old son, in sixth grade, has already been
given the task of researching the Internet for facts about a country for a
social studies report. He already knew how to search for a topic in Google so this was not a big deal for him. I can imagine
that some students who do not have a computer at home might be overwhelmed at
the thought of surfing the Web.
Even though I worked as a computer programmer for many years, I still needed to
learn how to access information on the Internet and organize the addresses of
what I found into folders on my Favorites list. This technology occurred after
I left work when I decided to stay home to raise my sons. I find myself in the
same boat as the students, trying to find my way through a maze of information
and web sites.
I think the most useful thing that a school district could do for its teachers
and students if they get them computers would be to make available a quick
tutorial on accessing the web (either done online or on a video tape they can
check out and view at home). It should include explaining the menu options at
the top of the Internet window of their Internet access program (Netscape,
Microsoft Internet Explorer, or AOL Online, etc.).
I also agree that the schools should restrict the use of the computers to those
sites deemed decent and create some penalties if students use the computers for
pornographic web sites. There are packages that filter out those web sites
(some are free from Apple Computers) and maybe the schools could install one on
their computers.
As technology progresses in the education field and in industry, many students
will be unprepared if they do not have a familiarity with that technology. That
doesn't mean that they need to know every piece of software out there but it
does mean that they will need to know how to go about learning a new software
tool. They will need to know how to look through a manual to find answers to
their questions about how the tool works. They will also need to be able to
concentrate on the subject at hand and learn not to get distracted, in other
words, how to stick to something until it is finished. This may require more
maturity of the individual than at the grade school level.
I think eventually it will payoff to have a school furnished laptop in every
student’s hands and it should level the playing field for those who have no
computer at home. I also wondered why the programs being implemented across the
country seem to be concentrating on the middle school level. Maybe the
officials running these programs think that the middle school aged students
will have the most years left to benefit from this technology before they
graduate.
In response to the idea whether teachers will be replaced if they do not have
Internet skills, I can only suspect that the hiring of new teachers may require
that skill but those already teaching would probably be offered training on the
Internet. If that training is refused, then maybe those teachers would not
receive a pay increase since they would not have the same skills required by
new hirers.
I read the attachments to this article as well. The idea of a computer
laboratory being outdated was a little surprising to me but probably realistic.
The laptops allow the students and teachers to remain in the classroom which is
more convenient than moving everyone to a lab to perform their web-based
instruction. My husband informed me that the reason a computer lab is still
used is because each Internet connection needs a phone line unless there is a
wideband connection. Every classroom probably does not have enough phone lines
installed to have all the students access the Internet at the same time.
Setting up rules as to how the Electronic messaging facilities (Instant
Messaging, Chat rooms, and email) should be used on the lap tops is wise. You
certainly don't want students to use them to develop a means of communication
for selling anything illegal.
The idea of recording any electronic communications between public school
officials and keeping a printed copy as public record on file in the central
office was recommended by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
Maybe if they extended this idea to purchases made with public school funds,
that they would be recorded as electronic messages sent to appropriate
officials, then it would be harder for people to misappropriate the school
funds since more than just the person using those funds would see the
transaction. I heard on the news about a
Reply to Laurie Lewis on Thu
Hello
Laurie,
I agree with you in that the push for technology may go too far and cause
discrimination against teachers who are not as technically in tune with the
latest Internet software and its usage. In my years as a computer programmer I
saw managers, who were not as technically informed as some of the programmers,
become enthusiastic about a particular new technology without giving it much
thought as to how it might apply toward the application at hand.
I believe what needs to be done is to look at the technology as a tool to
achieve a goal but not as the goal itself. The real goal is to help the
students learn their subject matter, math, spelling, language, history, etc. If
a computer program helps them learn in a more efficient manner and gets the
point across to most of the students, then the technology is worth it. If the
process of using the technology just frustrates the students because it is not
easily understood then it is probably better to use the more traditional forms
of teaching.
After all, a computer program, or web site with all of its information, is only
as good as the programmer who made it. If the programmer did not think things
through and created an incoherent set of information without realizing a
purpose for the use of that information, that technology, or web site, is
probably not going to inspire the students who see it to learn more about that
subject matter. On the other hand, if the programmer, or web site creator,
planned the use of that information and presented it in an easily
understandable form, then that web site will probably trigger the student's
curiosity about that subject matter and they will remember what they learned
there.
Technology is only valuable if applied appropriately. It will take some time to
train teachers to create useful web sites but hopefully they will be able to
draw on all their years of teaching experiences to provide the students with
challenging exercises and point them to outside web sites that will inspire
them to learn.
Well, I hope to hear your response to my comments and others,
Reply to
Melissa Madison on
Hello
Melissa,
I remember when we used to have secretaries at work (early 1980's) who would
type up our hand written notes that were to be published documents about our
job tasks. Those days are gone since everyone now has access to a word
processor on a PC. I learned to use the word processor to create manuals
describing the computer programs I created and for status reports. I think
anyone who has to write anything for work would be wise to learn how to use a
word processing program and should spend the time to learn how to make their
reports appear tidy or neat.
Either this person you describe doesn't particularly care what her work looks
like, and she will suffer the consequences, or she needs someone to show her
how to use the word processing program. I would prefer to take the view that
she just needs a little help to understand how to clean up her work. Maybe you
could ask her if she knows how to use certain features and that you would be
glad to show her how if she'd like the help. If she refuses the help, well,
there's not much you can do then.
Sometimes people are embarrassed by how little they know about the technology
they are supposed to be using. One of my jobs at work was to train engineers
how to use the software that our programming group had created. I found that
some of the engineers did not want to appear ignorant so I took the approach
that I was helping them on a peer-to-peer level, not as a teacher over student,
lording it over them, approach. I would present the
tutorial I created in a very non-threatening manner by permitting them time to
write down everything I said (to take notes) and to show them step by step
every thing they needed to do to run the software. They must have liked the way
I trained them because they gave me an employee of the quarter award for my
training efforts.
I suspect that this teacher has never had any formal training and probably
doesn't want to appear ignorant about how to use the word processor. I think,
as teachers, we will also encounter students who don't want to appear ignorant
in the subject matter we are teaching. We will have to help them overcome their
apprehension about asking questions by taking the approach that everyone has to
learn something new sometime and we are there to help them learn, not to
embarrass them.
I do think eventually those teachers that do not bother to learn the newer technology
will find themselves at a disadvantage if they need to
change jobs and provide a resume for a different job. When I worked full-time
as a computer programmer, I was in graduate school for Computer Science and
Applied Mathematics. Even though obtaining the Masters degree would only
increase my salary in my current job by about $50.00 per month, it would look
great on a resume if I had to change jobs. The way society is today, people
rarely stay in the same job in the same location for years. That means that
anything you can do to add to your job skills or work experiences will help you
appear more qualified for future jobs.
Well, I hope to hear more of your comments and experiences in the future,
Reply to
Anthony Rettig on
Hello
Anthony,
I enjoyed reading your comment about the use of the media center for testing
reading skills. I think the elementary school where my youngest son attends
fifth grade administers reading and math tests for the state of
Laurie mentioned that she read an article about how Media Specialist positions
are in the decline. I read the article at web address
http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/may02/anderson.htm#start.
My comments on the article are below and they are really a response to Laurie
as well as to your idea that the Media center is not being utilized for
research as much as for testing of children's reading abilities. I also
mentioned my ideas about what should be important to a Media Specialist keeping
their job.
I help the librarian, or Media Specialist, a lot in the library by labeling new
books and entering them into the computerized catalog. I also help keep the
book shelves in order and file returned books back into the shelves. Each
spring time I help the Media Specialist take inventory also using a
computerized bar code reader. We have to scan each book's bar code on its back
cover and then plug the device into the computer to download its file. We have
inventoried the whole library in a few days.
I mention this because I come from a perspective of helping the librarian keep
order in the library. You can actually look up a book on the computer catalog,
go to the shelf and find it. In an elementary school library, where children
often pull stuff out and shove it back wherever they want to, that is pretty
remarkable.
She, the Media Specialist, who is also the librarian, does other things such as
reads stories to the younger children, plans lunchtime story readings for the
older children, teaches them social studies topics where they need to research
a subject and write a report, teaches them how to use the computer catalog to
look up information and books, hosts several book fairs during the year and has
an annual "Wax Museum" project where the children research a famous
individual from history, dress up and present their information in a group
presentation in the school gym to the rest of the school one morning in the
spring. She also has monthly "read-in" evenings for children to bring
a sleeping bag and read in the school gym together and then have a small party
together.
I do not see her too concerned about using the technology in the computer lab.
I asked her how much it was used and she said not that much. In her case, she
is well-known and liked by all the staff and seems to be an integral part of
the school's curriculum. Even though she is not pushing "technology"
I don't see anyone complaining either. I do not know the budget situation at
this school but I can't imagine her job being cut because she is constantly
involved in helping teach the children something.
In this case, I think the teachers and the principal's focus on the usefulness
of the Media Center's technology would be to skip getting newer computers and
continue to have the Media Specialist help with her teaching programs. She is
so integrated into their curriculum and actually gives the teachers some time
to do lesson planning during the day while she has their class in the library
that every teacher would complain if her hours were cut back or she went away.
I think it ultimately comes down to the Media Specialist's ability to integrate
themselves into the school's curriculum that determines whether they are kept
or not. I may be wrong but I expect she will be there a long time.
I helped her pack up the whole library last year at the end of school because
they had to put in a new floor in the library's room. I boxed up over 125 book
boxes in two days and she did about the same. We saved the school so much money
instead of paying for an outsider to do it that they were able to repair the
lights on the ceiling as well and we put them a week ahead of schedule. We also
labeled the boxes so well that when we put the books back in the fall on the
shelves the library was ready for use within a week. I actually got paid for
two days by the school district to help her put them back. Normally I just
volunteer my time.
Well, my point in all of this is that the library is a place to research
information, which happens to be mostly in books at this point in history.
Maybe, in the future, it will mostly be on the Internet. Until that time comes,
librarians will still be needed to help others learn to use the library. If the
librarian is also the Media Specialist then she/he will be able to move into
the future more smoothly than those who are not trained in the technology.
Hope to hear more from you,
Cindy (Cynthia) Vaskis
Reply to
Laurie Lewis on Thu
Hi Laurie,
I read your second reply to the discussion topic and read the article you
mentioned at the web site you included in your reply. I responded to Anthony's
reply to the discussion board topic. My response is really to you too so please
read it.
Hope to hear your response to my reply soon.
Thanks,