You will be responsible for:
1. Writing one article about a technology issue, using any one of the four organizational patterns that we have learned about in class. Your article must contain your conclusions about this issue. You also need to ask either an inferential or evaluative question that your classmates may respond to. You will use the Post option at the bottom of the page to add your article to our blog.
2. Responding to at least two of your classmate’s articles using better answers format. You will use the Comment option at the end of each article to respond.
3. Helping classmates with technology. (I found it difficult to insert pictures and get them where I wanted in this text!)
Here is my article and my question that you may respond to. I have used the Problem/Solution organizational pattern, and highlighted the words that I need to use to make this pattern work.
Teaching With Technology Can Be Challenging
by J. Staats
As our world changes due to rapid advancements in technology, our students’ needs are also 
changing. Never before has there been a group of students who are able to access unbelievable amounts of information and mass media just by pushing a few buttons. With the technology skills that most students have, there is a great opportunity to use technology in teaching in order to make learning more interesting and interactive. However, sometimes using technology can cause big problems.
One of the problems that teachers encounter is not knowing all that much about technology. In teaching with it, they may find themselves in a situation where there is a good chance that students know more about the technology that is being used than they do. 
This requires a change in the traditional role of the teacher. It is a movement from expert to facilitator or leader, and a shift that may involve an uncomfortable loss of control. From my perspective, the solution is to be honest with students and tell them exactly what is going on. Also, there are many technology related inservices that teachers can attend to learn more.
Related to the issue of not being an expert, there is the issue of potential ‘landmines’ that may arise in the course of learning a new way of teaching. With the traditional way of teaching, most teachers figure out fairly quickly what catastrophic issues may arise. However, with something new, they never know exactly what may arise. One thing that I learned this morning was that even with the filters and blocks that we have on our system at school, it is possible to access blogs with inappropriate content. The solution that I put in place this morning was to tell students what was inappropriate content, and to provide the message that my expectation is that they would stay away from it at all times. I learned that I will have to deal with the ‘landmines’ as they arise.
Lastly, and perhaps the worst problem that teachers encounter using technology at school, is the availability of it. Our server is so slow and dated that it often makes working with technology cumbersome. Another issue is the fact that there is not enough equipment. The computer lab at our school is used regularly, and it can be very difficult to book it on short notice. One way around this is to plan ahead. Another way is to allocate fundraising money toward improving 
technology in the school. We could work toward providing a traveling mini lab (laptops on a cart that could be booked out to classes) with wireless networking provided.
These are just a few of the problems that teachers may encounter upon trying to incorporate more technology into their programs. However, as technology has evolved, I don’t think that there is much choice, if we are to meet the needs of our students and keep them engaged in learning.
Question: If every student had a laptop and wireless internet access at school, do you think that student learning would increase? Why or why not?
34 comments:
Yes I think students would learn more because they are able to use tools like the computer to learn in a hands on way, and it would give them more independence in learning.
It would be really interesting to see what would happen if students did have all those tools at their fingertips. You'd like to think it would make a difference.
Yes, I think students would learn more if they could use laptops because if they didn't understand they could just looks something up since they had access to the internet. Also, they would have a much easier time finding information for projects and reports. I agree with what Randall said too.
If every kid at school had a laptop I think that they would learn less because if they all had a laptop they might start to e-mail each other and play games and not be on the sight that they are soposed to be learning from and then they would just slak off without the teacher even knowing it! And that is not good because then they get bad marks and can't pass school!
Yes,i think they would learn more because they could have access to internet and could just look things up if they get confused. Students might pay more attention because it is more hands on and fun.
Yes, I think student would learn more if they could use laptops because they might be more interested in learning with their laptops. I also think that students would enjoy working with laptops because they might find it really cool. I also agree with Dan because if you needed to look something up you could just look it up under some online search engine, online dictionary or something related to that.
yes I think that if every student had wirless internet and a laptop at school I do think that learning would improve. Most people would like to type more then have to write it out by hand and also most people are faster at typing then they are at writing. The one problem with that is to find a way to get EVERYONE a laptop and wirless internet. That would be pretty hard, because just think about how long it took just to get this set up so that people could respond to your comment. It we could get laptops for everyone I am all for the idea!
it is good
I think it could work because it would be more interesting to look up the information then reading it on paper or listining to the teacher telling you the information
Yes, I think if every student had a laptop they would learn more because if they didnt know something they could find out themselves using the computer instead of waiting to go home and do it then so they would get alot more accomplished.
I think laptops and internet access would help students learn because they would be able to focus on what they were doing if they could listen music.
I think that it would and wouldn't increase student learning because I think that students would be more interested with computers than textbooks. If that is the case then they might try harder in klass because they might like it better. It also might impose ditractions like MSN and gameing sites. Unless those where blocked then they would be a big problem. if we had students playing games all day 1: They wouldn't be very active and they woudn't be as active at home. 2: they wouldn't learn any thing. But like marissa said I'm all for that idea
I don't think that having a laptop would make a difference in the learning process of the young student mind. I think this way because having access to google freely might tempt the youg and unmature student to games(distracting him/her from the task at hand). Not to mention how mad the parents would be if they had to buy there child a laptop. It could also could have a good effect teaching the student typing skills which he will need in the future. Also students may prefer to do something different such as use a laptop instead of a chalk board which will attract the younger audience forcing him to be more interested in the assignment.
i believe that if every student in the school had a laptop this would have a bad affect on the ability to learn. Students that dont have enough money for laptops would be left out and students that may not type as fast as anothers could fall behind. It also doesnt help the brain to learn how to spell, for the fact that spell check is almost alwayed used making for less knowing of the words to help students in there school years. Laptops also allow students to become less involved in the tast with popular internet actuvuties such as msn, facebook, and games.yes it is a different way of teaching but i do not think lap top are more affective for learning.
Yes, I think students would learn more if every student each had their own laptop because they would learn at their own pace and using technology is fun and hands on. Also with the internet they have access to tons of information right at their fingertips.
I think some students might not learn from using computers because they might not have been raised with technology, and might have trouble using the computers they do not know how to use. Other students might just play games, and not do their work while on the computers.
If all students had internet access it certaintly would have an 'easier to learn' quality, but some students may misuse the computer 'freedom'. Yes, they would have all the avalible information they would need on the internet for any assignment, but i've found that some 'information' can sometimes be just someone's opinion, or false information. Maybe leading to incorrect work. I think Connie poses a good point too.
I don't think that free internet access would be that good a use in school because we(students) tend to get side tracked. Most of us HAVE free internet access at home so we can fool around and such but some DON'T so it would be almost like a new experience for them. It is a NEW way of teaching but it also(sometimes) has limited efectiveness. We all get distracted sometimes from what we are suposed to do but even if you blocked some sites or whatever it would not change the fact that we would be distracted. I definitely like the idea of having a laptop and free range and wireless internet access as much as anyone but there are some minor and major problems you would need to take into account. I also AGREE with what Marissa and Brett said that if we got laptops for everyone I'm all for it!
it is very good!
Best Answers Format:
Generally speaking, student learning would increase if students had access to laptops and wireless internet at school. For one thing, students would be able to access information easily and quickly, and this could be used for a variety of learning activities. Secondly, teachers would need to learn new ways of teaching that would be more interesting and engaging for students. When students are not bored to with lessons, they would learn more just by paying attention! Finally, there may be some students who would use it to play games and message each other, instead of actually doing class work, but I think that most students are trustworthy and want to learn. This reminds me of the use of simulators in pilot training. They help pilots to learn more by increasing their engagement in the lessons and exposing them to more information. These are some of the reasons why I think that student learning would improve with student access to laptops and wireless internet.
In some ways I think it would increase because we would be able to kind of learn on our own and at our own pace and it would be a lot easier to focus with a computer screen because if you get lost you could read it over and find what you missed. It is also good because everyone would have one and everyone would be able to learn. In some ways it could be bad too because we could get off topic and start playing games and IMing while we are supposed to be reading.
Yes i think students would learn more with laptops because they would have it right there in front of them, rather then just listening. Also it would be easy to find information, and get help from teachers. It could also make student pay more attention because its more hands on, then a discussion.
yes, I strongly agree.
Except, wireless internet is painfully slow.
I agree, except wireless internet on 3 or more computers in PAINFULLY slow.
I think it would be good to have computers for every student because I think more kids would have more fun learning and into learning because they could type an assiment out in stead of having to write it and also they have an easy acss to information on what ever they would be doing. teachers could easily could talk to the students by first class or any other chating sites. Also kids would not get bord because they would always be doing something and not just sitting there listening to the teacher talk.
I agree with your idea and it could be helpfull in some ways but there is three problems#1is that wireless with more than three computers is slow#2is that people could do other things with internet any were#3is that it is expensive to give every a computer or make them bye there own
yes, i think it would be good because students could learn good computer skills. and the teachercould show info without the hassal of booking the computer lab.
yes, i think it would be interesting to have computers in class but it might cause problems because you never know who might be fooling around in a class with 30 student at computers.
If every student had a laptop and wireless internet acess at school i think that work would be eaiser and that students learn better but they may not be able to get work done. Because the internet is already a known entertainment resource if it were used as a learning tool the games that could be eaisly acessed may be to tempting for some students. The work would be eaiser because learning would be not as boring as a lesson with a teacher talking. Also there are a lot of visual learners that have a hard time learning and taking information out of a lesson of speech and would do much better by watching a computer screen. It is interactive too so many student will be entertained while learning. You must also think of the very negative effects of this. By doing this you are using a lot of energy and is every stundent did this an alternate power source would therefore be needed. The health effects too could be devastating because of possible radiation cause different types of cancer. Also the next generations could have bad health or be horrbily getting stubider as centuries go on more brain cells would be effect and these health conditions would pass thourgh generations.
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