Computer Use by Students in the Classroom

Kaleen C. Polakoff
24 July 2009


ESSAY ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM


A friend of mine told me that they had enrolled their child into a new district ran charter school and mainly because the school offered every child a laptop. I was surprised, not by the fact that they would get laptops, but by the fact that it was the determining factor in enrolling children in a new school. It was not about the teachers or the curriculum; it was because their children would receive a laptop.
I have a few cautions for those parents that gleefully put their children into that school. Computers have expanded our capabilities in the classroom as a wonderful tool. It is not the computer that causes the problem, but the way the computer is used. Computer games are a fun way to learn multiplication facts, learn to read, and play everyone’s favorite, Oregon Trail. However, what our school discovered is while these games are fun, they did not aid in the retention of knowledge. Computer games are great as a supplement to teaching, but not as the only source for education. My daughter did Pre-algebra in the fifth grade, not because she knew the concepts, but learned how to answer multiple-choice questions.
Computers are a great aid to research. However, having Internet access at school creates a great liability. While the majority of students do not abuse the privilege by visiting inappropriate websites, the few that do make it very difficult to keep up with software to protect the innocent. Students will install programs on computers to erase the history of where they go making it difficult to track the inappropriate use.
The other problem with computer research is the use of search engines. Most students do not know how to use the search engines to find important information. Students have a tendency to just cut and paste articles into their papers without citing their sources and then present it as their own material. I am not just talking about high school students; I am talking the younger grades as well. English teachers not only have to check papers for grammar, but for sources. Students do not know how to analyze materials found on the Internet and often use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia. Students are losing the ability to analyze printed material as well.
Teachers and students use computer software to put together power point presentations using a variety of media sources. While this can be very exciting, students need guidance in what they produce. With the variety of music and video that can be added to a power point presentation, students need help judiciously choosing material to be included in their presentations.
I have found cell phones used in a variety of inappropriate ways at school, from taking pictures of friends in inappropriate ways to text messaging to phones ringing in the middle of class. The problem once found only in high school appears in the younger grades. With cell phones, students allow instant messaging lingo to appear in their papers. I-pods present another problem in class. They can be a big distraction if students are listening to music.
Lest you believe that I am anti-technology in the classroom, I am not. I think technology can play a powerful role. Computers can increase the speed and quantity of papers produced. They can also help with style and, definitely, printed pages are easier to read than handwritten pages.
Internet research can enhance research from printed material. When used correctly, it can point out other sources of information. It can be quick and easy and supplement material used in class.
When used to enhance learning, computer software becomes a powerful tool. There are wide varieties of software programs for any subject, including music composition. Power point presentations can spark imaginations and create excitement in the classroom.
I have yet to find an appropriate use for cell phones in the classroom. Nevertheless, with the advances in speed and the rate cell phones can connect to the Internet, it will not be long before laptops will be outdated and cell phones will be in.
We could very well go to books stored on I-pods instead of printed material just because their expense continues to skyrocket. Instead of checking out a book from the school library, students will check out a computer chip that has a dozen books stored on it.
To the parents whose children were given a laptop for school, I would advise them to ask a few questions about Internet research and the use of the Internet at school. They need to know how the school will protect their children. A very important question they need to ask is how the computers are going to be used in conjunction with the curriculum.