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Technology in the Classroom

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

A lot has changed in the classroom over the many years the United States has offered public education. Perhaps no change is as obvious as that occurring in technology. Typing on a computer has replaced the emphasis on writing by hand. The Internet has added a new layer of connectivity to classroom lessons. And the traditional chalkboard has morphed a bit as well. Today, interactive whiteboards (IWB) are all the range. But how beneficial are they really?

This is a topic covered in this Education Week article

In the article, mostly anecdotal evidence and explanation is given one way or another. It does explain that some studies have linked technology and better grades, but it also makes the statement that any progress depends on the teacher.

One of those teachers talked about in the article is Sandra Simoneaux, a 3rd and 4th grade teacher at Parker Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. She said an interactive whiteboard can give her “immediate insight” into how well students are learning. If she asks a question, the whiteboard can actually track how long it takes for students to answer. If it’s taking a while for the students to understand the problem, then she instantly knows that she needs to spend some more time on that lesson.

She also likes how using an interactive whiteboard can help her to teach the lesson at her own pace. With students relying on her use of the whiteboard, rather than questions on a sheet or in a textbook, they can’t jump ahead. Instead, they must move the same speed at which the instructor teaches. This helps keep everybody on task and in the moment.

The article also talks about the Urban High School of San Francisco. They use interactive white boards there, and school officials talk about how helpful they are with visual learning. The teachers can set up lesson plans and visual tools ahead of time, saving them from having to spend class time setting up something like a graph or chart on the board. Also, the whiteboards have the ability to save work written on them by the teacher. That way, students can download the teacher’s visual class lesson later. This allows them to skip taking notes during the actual lecture and focus instead on taking the information in.

Professional development and repeated use are both emphasized in the article. Just adding an interactive whiteboard itself won’t make for a significant change. That fact is highlighted in this quote from the Education Week article:

“Some people think [the IWB] is a magic bullet that will solve everything,” said Patrick Ledesma, a school-based technology specialist and special education department chair at the 746-student Holmes Middle School, which is part of the Fairfax County public schools in Virginia. He is also a current teacher-ambassador fellow for the U.S. Department of Education. But once interactive whiteboards have been installed, “teachers will do what they’ve always done, unless there is training or support to do things differently,” he said.

It appears that technology can really make an impact in the classroom, but not without the guiding hands of a well-trained professional.

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Education or Incarceration?

Monday, July 11th, 2011

In the last 20 years, state spending on prisons has grown six times faster than spending on higher education. In the 20 years from 1987 to 2007, the nation’s prisons grew by one million people. And the harshest statistic of all? The United States imprisons almost 25 percent of the world’s prisoners, despite the fact that we only have five percent of the world’s population. So what’s going on?

Do we have an unusually criminal population? Are other countries too lenient? Or do we have an out-of-control system of punishment in this country that favors incarceration over education?

An article on CNN.com looks at the question and references a recent NAACP report, which shows that spending on prisons has taken some of the money that could have been spent on education.

The vast amount of money being spent on punishment in our country is a direct result of the War on Drugs and the resulting get-tough approach to handling drug crimes. Poor and minority communities suffer the most from such policies. Meanwhile, these policies haven’t been particularly effective in combating drug crime and have had a negative impact on education.

For example, the NAACP report states that the lowest performing schools in Houston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are in areas with high rates of incarceration. The article points out that the cycle of “lowered expectations” that comes from high incarceration rates weakens the community fabric and stymies the future potential of its residents.

The CNN article says that treatment rather than incarceration, GED programs leading to early release and easier access to parole would all help alleviate the problem.

Many people hear the word NAACP and assume that whatever follows is liberal rhetoric, but the CNN article referencing the report and arguing for reforming the prison system is co-written by Rod Paige, the U.S. secretary of education from 2001 to 2005 under President George W. Bush — not exactly a liberal hero. The other author of the article is Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP.

Even Virginia’s Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell seems to be behind prison reform. The CNN article points out that he is trying to close eight prison facilities and use the money instead on higher education.

The CNN article also uses this quote that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave in his 2010 State of the Union address:

“What does it say about any state that focuses more on prison uniforms than on caps and gowns?”

That seems like a fair question. What does it say when we have so many people falling behind in our school system, and yet our policy makers continue to try to appear “tough on crime” by supporting policies that imprison people sometimes to no discernible good?

None of which is to say that people who commit crimes shouldn’t go to prison. However, policy makers and their constituents must take a look at how and why we imprison people and determine whether what we’re doing is effective and what can be done differently. And, of course, we should spend at least as much time and money on education as we do on incarceration.

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The Dreaded Return of School

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Find a quiet spot in your house and listen carefully. If you pay attention, you may be able to hear the collective groan of students across the country upset about having to return to school. The end of summer vacation can be a relief for parents. But for students, it often means the end of freedom, and the return to pencils, books and teachers giving dirty looks.

Naturally, the beginning of the school year can be tough for students as they try to get back into learning mode. It is also the most important time for parents to be involved.

First of all, for you parents out there, PTA, student/teacher conferences and the occasional note on the report card is not enough communication to have with your child’s teacher.  Make an effort to meet the teacher, get to know him or her a little bit, and establish that you want to be aware of how your child is doing in school. If your kid can’t concentrate, you want to know sooner rather than later. Same if he or she is disruptive, lagging behind or uncooperative. Parents should strive to be partners with teachers and ensure that everybody is looking out for the best interests of the student.

Another helpful thing to do with your student is set goals. Evaluate the last school year. How did your child do? Did he or she falter in any subjects? Is he or she behind in any way? Then take a look at the curriculum for the current school year. Describe your goals. What do you want your child to have learned at the end of the year? Where do you want him or her to have improved? Make sure you and your child have defined objectives and review them frequently.

It probably goes without saying, but be an active participant when your child is doing homework. First of all, set up a schedule. Make sure that a certain amount of time is set aside every night for homework. The time should be consistent from day to day, and your child should get used to using that time only for homework. Offer to review homework or help your child figure out problems he or she may have trouble with. If he or she doesn’t have enough homework to fill the time that is set aside, perhaps you could go over old lessons with him or her to brush up.   Homework is also a good way to get an indication of how well your child is doing. By being involved, you may see signs that your child needs extra help in certain areas.

Positive reinforcement is also necessary for any student. Help your child by periodically looking back at what he or she has learned. Measure benchmarks of achievement. If your child has improved at math, English, social studies, science or anything else, point this out. Oftentimes students will focus on what they’re not doing well rather than on how much they have achieved. Focusing their attention on their progress can help build confidence and a desire to persevere.

And, of course, proper health plays heavily into how well your child does in school. Make sure he or she gets enough sleep. Make sure he or she eats breakfast and will have a healthy lunch and dinner. And remember that it’s not all about work. Your child should have outlets for fun. Avoid video games, and encourage your child to get involved in a physical activity. After all, exercise is another component of healthy living, and it also may improve a child’s ability to pay attention.

These are just some tips to begin your school year right. Be involved. Be vigilant. And your child will have an advantage from the start.

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