Opinions+of+Tech

**What do students have to say about technology and education?**

 **Closing the “digital disconnect” between students and educators**



 media type="custom" key="5486483"   According to a 2008 survey mentioned in the attached article, students are increasingly frustrated at having to “power down” their use of technology when they enter school buildings. Students reported that they are worried that powering down their use of technology will adversely affect them in developing the skills they'll need to compete in a technology-driven global economy. What's more, there's a buzz of excitement in the classroom when a teacher takes out a clicker, iTouch, or other cutting edge technology. The article mentions the following tech toys and their classroom applications:

 • **Student-response systems (SRSs) also known as clickers** which are used to compile student answers. SRSs are often used for reviews during tests. “You don’t have to write anything down, and it’s easier for the teacher,” says Occhipinti, a senior. “It instantly calculates your grade and saves all the grades to the teacher’s computer. I had definitely never seen anything like it. But using it wasn’t awkward. It was like changing the channel on TV.”

 • **iPods**--listening to classical music on an iPod might aid concentration during independent work time

 • **Laptops**--increase student engagement and individualize instruction

 • **Smartphones**--increase student engagement and differentiation; increases the flow from school to home.

 • **Cellphones**--increase student engagement and individualize instruction; increases the flow from school to home.

 • **Interactive Boards (SMART, Promethean, et al)**-- increase student engagement and individualize instruction; differentiation

 • **NComputing lab**s--allows one PC to be split or cloned to enable several others to run off it, as if each station were its own distinct unit. That means each student has his or her own computer to use. One student reports, “It’s extremely easy to access resources, and we don’t have to waste time taking notes because everything is downloadable. Anything we do in class can be uploaded and used at home. It’s mind-blowing for me.”

 • **large, high-quality projector with surround sound** in the music room (or other classroom)--instant feedback: to review performances and help improve them.

 Here's an interesting tidbit taken directly from the article:

 Half the teachers responding to the Speak Up survey agreed that mobile learning devices—such as iPods, smartphones, cellphones, and laptop computers—can increase student engagement, but were concerned about the challenge of providing equal access to such devices for all students, the amount of professional development needed to use the tools effectively, and the ability of schools to provide ongoing technical support.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">What do parents that have I say about tech? <span style="color: #0d0d3f; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Parents' Opinions of Tech

<span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #0d0d3f; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Are you looking for more opportunities outside of our school community to discuss these topics? I'd like to invite you to participate in the Education Week Digital Directions Ning site where educators are discussing why student perspectives about educational technology are important. <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> You'll need to sign up to join the discussion.