Here's a question you've definitely heard before: should we allow technology in the classroom (at the high school level)? Last year, my school district decided that yes, we should. However, not only did it allow for laptops in the classroom, but it also made Chromebooks into a requirement for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Every day, I observe students with their Chromebooks, and I find myself wondering if this technology improves learning.
There are a plethora of arguments that can be made both for and against the use of technology in classes. Unfortunately for those for such use, I am against it. For one thing, college students are paying for their education; it's up to them to waste their tuition by playing games in class if they want. Public high schools, which are funded by local property taxes, should not give students the option of rejecting their education.
Of course, there are other reasons beyond economics as to why high school students should not be allowed to use laptops in classes. One argument I hear often is that writing down material helps students retain it--muscle memory. Supporters of laptop use in classrooms would argue that technology allows students to take notes on more of the lesson. But are you really learning by typing? There's no memory involved, and if your notes are that much longer, just how many students will take a second look at them?
Sure, maybe laptops do hinder learning in this way. "But," supporters for laptop use might claim, "laptops increase productivity and provide students with numerous tools." Well, it seems I'm attending the wrong high school, since most students here use laptops to browse sites unrelated to classroom material. "Then restrict those sites," supporters would argue. But just how many sites can you block? Sure, you might restrict Facebook and Youtube, but what about Reddit or Imgur? Would something like this blog be blocked, too?
Of course, there are other reasons beyond economics as to why high school students should not be allowed to use laptops in classes. One argument I hear often is that writing down material helps students retain it--muscle memory. Supporters of laptop use in classrooms would argue that technology allows students to take notes on more of the lesson. But are you really learning by typing? There's no memory involved, and if your notes are that much longer, just how many students will take a second look at them?
Sure, maybe laptops do hinder learning in this way. "But," supporters for laptop use might claim, "laptops increase productivity and provide students with numerous tools." Well, it seems I'm attending the wrong high school, since most students here use laptops to browse sites unrelated to classroom material. "Then restrict those sites," supporters would argue. But just how many sites can you block? Sure, you might restrict Facebook and Youtube, but what about Reddit or Imgur? Would something like this blog be blocked, too?
Maybe this would work in a high level environment in which students are constantly focused on schoolwork. Unfortunately, the majority of high school often is not, and laptops may even give them a greater incentive to not focus in class. For example, my friend always scrambles to finish his English homework (due the next period, by the way) during AP Japanese.
Despite my current beliefs, I am open to any arguments regarding the use of technology in a high school setting and would like to hear what others have to say. What do you think? Has technology improved the high school learning experience?
Update: Today, I obtained a Chromebook to see for myself what ramifications will result from using it in classrooms. Will my learning experience improve, contrary to my expectations, or will I prove myself correct? This may not be a perfect nor an objective experiment, it will definitely be an informative one.
For some more analysis on the effects of using technology in classes, check out this post on a similar blog.
Source: http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100361979-Computer-teacher.jpg
Update: Today, I obtained a Chromebook to see for myself what ramifications will result from using it in classrooms. Will my learning experience improve, contrary to my expectations, or will I prove myself correct? This may not be a perfect nor an objective experiment, it will definitely be an informative one.
For some more analysis on the effects of using technology in classes, check out this post on a similar blog.
Source: http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100361979-Computer-teacher.jpg
This is an interesting post. I agree with your argument that laptops decrease learning since the process of writing is important in retaining information. When I was at debate camp, I only used my computer for notes. I found that I retained information far worse that I do at school where I only take notes on paper. I think that another problem with technology in the classroom is that it detracts from actual person-to-person contact. I encourage you to take a look at my blog for more analysis on this: http://mechanicinteractions.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-classroom-of-screens.html
ReplyDeleteI agree with your ideas that technology may hinder learning in high schools. I am also curious as to how many students with chromebooks are actually getting work done. I do believe that the chromebook may help some students who are able to focus despite having the ability to go on noneducational websites, but I think it does more harm than good because most students can not focus when they have distractions. I agree with Ethan that nothing can replace being able to write down a few notes and I always found it useful (especially in AP Bio) to take the time to read my textbook and jot down notes in my notebook. In addition, according to my sister who is a sophomore, many useful websites do not even work and she finds herself more frustrated that she has to use a chromebook stating "You are a senior, you do not have to even deal with this."
ReplyDeleteBrad,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points about how using technology is the classroom leads to less information retention because of the lack of muscle memory as well as the point that laptops can serve a serious distractions in a class setting. However, on the whole, I advocate for the use of such technologies in classrooms. I frequently bring my own laptop to class and have seen the benefits of doing so firsthand.
In my opinion, the greatest benefit of utilizing technology in schools is the ease of access it provides to information as well as its storage capabilities. I know than myself and many of my peers frequently misplace things, and so I find it extremely convenient to be able to type up and store notes online, where I never have to worry about losing them. The same concept applies to when teachers put assignments and schedules online; the convenience allows me to access the information anywhere. Furthermore, the internet is an excellent source of reference information that allows to me participate more deeply in class discussions and research thoroughly for assignments. I would argue that this ease of access to information allows me to learn better, and that therefore technology in the class room would have a positive effect on learning despite the potential downsides.
Brad,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point! In most cases, technology only distracts students from their school work. I myself have fallen prey to distraction and unintentionally missed out on interesting lectures, because I was too busy getting my homework done for another class. My frustration lies with the administration. I don't understand how our district can think that having the freedom to peruse the Internet during class is a valuable educational tool. I remember taking the survey to evaluate the use of Chrome Books. I personally gave the Chrome Books a low score, but other students might have felt differently or scored it higher to have an opportunity for distraction. While I would be upset if technology was more limited in high school, I do think it would benefit me in the long run.
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ReplyDeleteHi Brad,
ReplyDeleteI think that you made a good point about the distractions that technology may beget for students. I also believe that requiring all students except for seniors in the Glenbrook school district to purchase Chromebooks was overkill. However, I do believe that technology has and will continue to enhance the students’ learning experience. All of our math classes depend a lot on our TI-Inspire CAS calculators. In addition, many teaches are going paper-less because online classrooms are very convenient to both use and access. As Katy said previously, having computers and other resourceful technologies allows users to research supplementary material to enhance classroom discussions. With regards to distractions, I believe that the problem can be reduced if teachers are stricter about the usage of technology when it’s not necessarily needed.