By Sean Scarpiello
As my classmates and I were dismissed from our first ecology class, we began dreading all of the new homework we were assigned. The work to do for our next class was not like typical homework. We did not have to read and take notes, or even complete worksheets. The homework we were assigned was all computer based on a program called SimUText. This software is designed to help science students understand new concepts by providing simulations which offer the material in a form where it is visualized in a much easier manner. So after our first assignments on the program, many students had their own opinions on this new method of learning.
First, we needed to download the software through the internet which did not take too long at all. After giving the site our school email address, the site recognized my professor’s account on the site. This allowed the professor to assign us only the lessons he thought were useful. This was nice because the site is extremely user friendly, which is important because it allows students to focus on the material without having difficulty navigating the site.
As we began to work through the assignment, SimUText was extremely clear in conveying the material and had a lot of visuals which kept us entertained. The simulations also worked well as they were easy to carryout and pertaining to material being taught. The simulations were also beneficial because they were not too restrictive. For example, one simulation’s goal was to show the evolution of a type of fish when exposed to different conditions. Although the simulation asked to expose the fish to one factor, we could branch off and test other factors over several generations. I was impressed that the simulations did not appear as if they were all predetermined and the same for everyone. In fact, if a student ran a simulation multiple times, the results would be different each time. This was interesting in the regard that everyone is not experiencing the same monotonous experiment.
One other great feature of SimUText was that it keeps the student active. Throughout the entire lesson, students are asked to make predictions and answer questions pertaining to the reading and simulations. By keeping the student’s mind involved in the material, the subject matter becomes interesting. It also ensures students are reading and not just skimming through the material. The program even allows the teacher to look in on how much time each student spend on different sections as well as their answers to the questions. Our teacher is looking at our answers and giving us a grade on how well we do. It is also nice because he can look in on everyone’s answers and determine which topics need to be reviewed in class.
When class rolled around after our first SimUText homework assignment, there were mixed reviews on the program. Overall, there seemed to be a love-hate relationship with SimUText. The majority of students thought the simulations were interesting and much better than having to read or take notes from the textbook. Others felt that the simulations wasted time because they could read the material in the textbook much quicker than going through all of the simulations. To this response to the program, the professor asked if students just read and took notes from the book, would they understand the material as well as if they had gone through the simulations. The answer across the room was “No.”
Overall, SimUText is a great tool to use in a science class at any level. By keeping students active in the material, students spend more time on the material and retain much more of the information as compared with to traditional textbook work. The program is extremely simple for students and teachers to use and all of the lessons are premade for the teachers. The ability for teachers to follow each student’s performance through the material is also a bonus as they can use the program as a gauge to see what the class understands and what needs to be reviewed in class.
http://simbio.com/
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Integrating Fun into the Classroom
By Sean Scarpiello
As the beginning of the school year quickly approaches, teachers are looking for creative ways to integrate new technology into the curriculum. Now that many schools have invested in the latest laptops and iPads, teachers need to decide which educational programs and applications to use in class. While most of the different software teaches the same material, teachers are stepping into the shoes of students to determine which programs will be the most effective in class. Aside from the scope of material being taught using these digital programs, teachers are finding that they need to take into account other factors such as clarity, difficulty, and entertainment value. From a teacher’s perspective, it is important to take into account all of these factors, especially entertainment, because if students can have fun while they learn, they will learn even more.
One of the best types of programs to incorporate fun into the curriculum is digital programs that are game based. Video games are huge right now so if teachers can bring the fun and competitiveness of video games into a learning environment, students will naturally learn more. Many students are innately competitive, so if students’ homework is getting to level 8 in a math adventure game or getting 2,000 points in a grammar puzzle, students will not view the homework as work. There are tons of different educational games on the market today, especially technology based games. Some of the cool games for students are adventure games where they explore vast digital worlds but must answer math questions to move around their surroundings. There are also many games where students race against the clock to answer questions in math, grammar, science, history, and more.
These sorts of game-based education programs will be effective because they allow students to learn interactively. They can pick up the basics of the class material from the teacher, but then test their skills on a colorful computer screen, rather than a bland worksheet. Also through this type of learning, students will be driven to get the farthest in the class or gain the highest amounts of points. Even though the students are driven to beat the game or be the best, they are also becoming self-motivated to learn. In fact, many students may enjoy the game-based education so much that they forget that they are learning. This keeps students actively engaged in their studies without becoming bored or struggling to find uses for education in the real world. Students will actually end up learning more than they thought they would. In addition, they may not view school as boring or intimidating.
Teachers will also enjoy the games because they can find that their students are more engaged in class and in homework. Also, since the programs are computer-based, teachers can monitor and track the progress of their students. This allows teachers to base their lesson plans around the difficulties of the class as a whole, as well as target the individuals who are struggling. This sort of individualized education comes with all technology based education programs and is beneficial for both the teacher and the student.
In all, the game-based educational software would definitely be a good choice for teachers to integrate into their curriculum. They keep students active in the learning process and ensure they do not get discouraged or bored. Throughout the summer, a lot of these students are entertained through video game systems, so why not carry on that entertainment into the classroom. Here, students will have fun, while learning more than they thought imaginable.
As the beginning of the school year quickly approaches, teachers are looking for creative ways to integrate new technology into the curriculum. Now that many schools have invested in the latest laptops and iPads, teachers need to decide which educational programs and applications to use in class. While most of the different software teaches the same material, teachers are stepping into the shoes of students to determine which programs will be the most effective in class. Aside from the scope of material being taught using these digital programs, teachers are finding that they need to take into account other factors such as clarity, difficulty, and entertainment value. From a teacher’s perspective, it is important to take into account all of these factors, especially entertainment, because if students can have fun while they learn, they will learn even more.
One of the best types of programs to incorporate fun into the curriculum is digital programs that are game based. Video games are huge right now so if teachers can bring the fun and competitiveness of video games into a learning environment, students will naturally learn more. Many students are innately competitive, so if students’ homework is getting to level 8 in a math adventure game or getting 2,000 points in a grammar puzzle, students will not view the homework as work. There are tons of different educational games on the market today, especially technology based games. Some of the cool games for students are adventure games where they explore vast digital worlds but must answer math questions to move around their surroundings. There are also many games where students race against the clock to answer questions in math, grammar, science, history, and more.
These sorts of game-based education programs will be effective because they allow students to learn interactively. They can pick up the basics of the class material from the teacher, but then test their skills on a colorful computer screen, rather than a bland worksheet. Also through this type of learning, students will be driven to get the farthest in the class or gain the highest amounts of points. Even though the students are driven to beat the game or be the best, they are also becoming self-motivated to learn. In fact, many students may enjoy the game-based education so much that they forget that they are learning. This keeps students actively engaged in their studies without becoming bored or struggling to find uses for education in the real world. Students will actually end up learning more than they thought they would. In addition, they may not view school as boring or intimidating.
Teachers will also enjoy the games because they can find that their students are more engaged in class and in homework. Also, since the programs are computer-based, teachers can monitor and track the progress of their students. This allows teachers to base their lesson plans around the difficulties of the class as a whole, as well as target the individuals who are struggling. This sort of individualized education comes with all technology based education programs and is beneficial for both the teacher and the student.
In all, the game-based educational software would definitely be a good choice for teachers to integrate into their curriculum. They keep students active in the learning process and ensure they do not get discouraged or bored. Throughout the summer, a lot of these students are entertained through video game systems, so why not carry on that entertainment into the classroom. Here, students will have fun, while learning more than they thought imaginable.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Khan Academy Enters Next Era With iPad App
Offline learning is the latest tool for the unorthodox education organization. Here's how that and other new features will power Khan Academy's new app.
Khan Academy, the wildly popular YouTube lecture series, has launched its free, new iPad app in Apple's store. The enhanced version of Khan Academy includes time-syncing between devices--no Internet connection required--an interactive transcript of the lectures for easy searching, and a handy scrubber for moving between parts of the lectures. Perhaps more importantly, now that more schools have begun adopting Khan's lectures for their own classrooms, the iPad app could possibly replace or supplement textbooks, saving cash-strapped schools and students a lot of money.
The major benefit of the app is offline learning. "If you're going on a road trip or if you're taking mass transit and you don't have cell service, or whatever, you can get the content," says Khan Academy Lead Designer Jason Rosoff. The iPad frees Khan Academy from the constraints of a laptop and Internet connection. Rosoff says the app will remember where users left off viewing and sync progress between devices (though, for the initial version, both devices will need to connect to the Internet before going offline to sync).
Second, with inspiration from TED, Khan lectures will now have an interactive time-stamped transcript, which is a convenient search function, considering some of the lectures can be quite long.
Last, just like a textbook, users flip back and forth between different parts of the content. "People scrub a lot in our videos," says Rosoff. The app will have an enhanced version video scrubber (the scroll bar at the bottom of a video) that makes repeating areas less painful.
For the growing number of schools that are adopting iPads, the most impactful potential for the app is for Khan Academy's "flipped classroom," in which lectures are watched at home by students, and then assignments are completed collaboratively in class, where a teacher is present. "The teacher is free to do a lot more of the human interaction," says Shantanu Sinha, President and COO of Khan Academy.
Intrigued by the idea of the flipped classroom, a pilot program in the Los Altos school district in California has started using Khan's online lectures for a substantial portion of the learning. Teachers use visualization software that could track student progress in the lectures, and they've discovered that some students were often mislabeled as "at-risk."
"Very often, students who thought they were horrible in math, who were labeled bad in math by schools ... in many cases, they were just struggling with a very specific topic," Sinha says. "Without the ability to explore lectures at home, struggling students were left behind as teachers progressed through the lesson plan. But, when students could focus on problem areas at their own pace, they could overcome weaknesses and catch back up with the class.
The initial version of the iPad app doesn't include the visualization tools and exercises necessary for a Khan Academy classroom, Rosoff says, but once the tools are part of the app, schools may adopt the Khan lecture series as a electronic textbook replacement. That'll also give Khan more time to address early feedback about the tools in later app updates.
Find the new Khan Academy iPad app here.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Is College Worth It?
By Sean Scarpiello
For many high school students today, college education is quickly becoming harder and harder to achieve. Regardless of the poor economy, college tuition continues to rise each year. As these prices increase, less students can afford to go to college. Many students who take loans to pay for college end up struggling to pay back tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Also, some highly educated people have a very difficult time finding jobs after college and many of these people end up taking jobs which are readily available. Although these people are overqualified for their positions, they need to take any job available to them simply because they need to begin to pay back college loans. Consequently, many high school students and their parents are beginning to ask whether or not a college education is worth it.
Statistically, it is true that, on average, college graduates end up making more money during their lifetime compared to non-college graduates. Although this is true, there are always exceptions to this rule. Some people, such as Bill Gates, have dropped out or not gone to college and have still been very successful. This idea does not apply only to geniuses like Bill Gates. There should be no shame in entering occupations such as an electrician, plumber, or handyman. In fact, many people in these professions end up making more money than some lawyers and other highly educated people. Plus, there will always be a need for these kinds of workers. If a thunderstorm causes a town’s power to go out, everyone relies on the local electricians to fix this problem, even highly educated CEOs, college professors, and politicians.
With all this in mind, students should not look upon a college as a guarantee to make more money. A college education only increases one’s chances to make more money. From a business standpoint, college is an investment into oneself. For this reason, it is important to make the investment pay off. Picking the right classes and doing well in these classes should be a top priority. If not, college graduates simply will not find a good return on this investment later on down the road. After college, the product graduates are trying to sell is themselves. By increasing the level of intelligence at college, one learns greater abilities and can therefore be more profitable. For example, doctors go through years of highly specialized training because the product they sell is their knowledge. This applies to all jobs, including math, business, political science, art, and more.
In addition, it may be easier to invest the money saved up for a college education into a business. One of the co-founders of PayPal, Peter Thiel, has created a program called the Thiel Fellowship. Here, he gives $100,000 to students under 20 years of age to go out and use it in their own venture. Some of these fellows take the money to spend on education while others drop out of college or finish high school and use this money to begin their own business. The fellowship is an interesting concept. It is a good method for us to gauge the importance of a college education. It can essentially show that if people are self-motivated and intelligent enough to put their money into the best investment possible, then they will be successful, regardless of their level of education.
People should not view college or graduate school as a definite assurance of finding a well-paying job. Therefore, people should choose to go in the path that best fits their personality. If someone learns in a hands-on fashion and struggles in a classroom setting, a vocational school may be the option to save money and still be very successful. Likewise, if someone is innately driven and mature, they can avoid college altogether and invest their money into their own business. That being said, college still serves as an expensive, yet conservative, method of finding success through education.
For many high school students today, college education is quickly becoming harder and harder to achieve. Regardless of the poor economy, college tuition continues to rise each year. As these prices increase, less students can afford to go to college. Many students who take loans to pay for college end up struggling to pay back tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Also, some highly educated people have a very difficult time finding jobs after college and many of these people end up taking jobs which are readily available. Although these people are overqualified for their positions, they need to take any job available to them simply because they need to begin to pay back college loans. Consequently, many high school students and their parents are beginning to ask whether or not a college education is worth it.
Statistically, it is true that, on average, college graduates end up making more money during their lifetime compared to non-college graduates. Although this is true, there are always exceptions to this rule. Some people, such as Bill Gates, have dropped out or not gone to college and have still been very successful. This idea does not apply only to geniuses like Bill Gates. There should be no shame in entering occupations such as an electrician, plumber, or handyman. In fact, many people in these professions end up making more money than some lawyers and other highly educated people. Plus, there will always be a need for these kinds of workers. If a thunderstorm causes a town’s power to go out, everyone relies on the local electricians to fix this problem, even highly educated CEOs, college professors, and politicians.
With all this in mind, students should not look upon a college as a guarantee to make more money. A college education only increases one’s chances to make more money. From a business standpoint, college is an investment into oneself. For this reason, it is important to make the investment pay off. Picking the right classes and doing well in these classes should be a top priority. If not, college graduates simply will not find a good return on this investment later on down the road. After college, the product graduates are trying to sell is themselves. By increasing the level of intelligence at college, one learns greater abilities and can therefore be more profitable. For example, doctors go through years of highly specialized training because the product they sell is their knowledge. This applies to all jobs, including math, business, political science, art, and more.
In addition, it may be easier to invest the money saved up for a college education into a business. One of the co-founders of PayPal, Peter Thiel, has created a program called the Thiel Fellowship. Here, he gives $100,000 to students under 20 years of age to go out and use it in their own venture. Some of these fellows take the money to spend on education while others drop out of college or finish high school and use this money to begin their own business. The fellowship is an interesting concept. It is a good method for us to gauge the importance of a college education. It can essentially show that if people are self-motivated and intelligent enough to put their money into the best investment possible, then they will be successful, regardless of their level of education.
People should not view college or graduate school as a definite assurance of finding a well-paying job. Therefore, people should choose to go in the path that best fits their personality. If someone learns in a hands-on fashion and struggles in a classroom setting, a vocational school may be the option to save money and still be very successful. Likewise, if someone is innately driven and mature, they can avoid college altogether and invest their money into their own business. That being said, college still serves as an expensive, yet conservative, method of finding success through education.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Improving Education at Home
By Sean Scarpiello
As education professionals continue to invest large amounts of money into education, it is easy to forget about simple, cheap, and easy ways to improve the education of all students in the classroom. Many people in our world today focus only on the costs of cutting edge technology in the classroom as well as the high costs of transporting students and sustaining school districts. As parents attend school board and parent teacher organization meetings, many parents fail to realize that a high quality education starts at home.
When young students enter elementary school, they look up to their parents to see how they discuss and handle education. If parents take their children’s education seriously, then there is a good chance that the students will begin taking their education seriously. Parents need to become involved in their child’s education. Every night, parents can check their child’s assignment book and be up to date on the homework, tests, and projects which need to be completed. Another way for parents to stay involved is by reviewing each night’s homework assignment. This does not mean simply check it over after the kids are asleep. This means at a scheduled time each night, perhaps after dinner, go through each homework problem and make sure each question is correct with the student. If there are incorrect or blank questions, take some time to correct them and make sure that both the question and the correct answer are fully understood. Parents could also come up with their own examples based off of questions their children had difficulty with. This will allow students become more prepared in the future when they will inevitably be asked a similar type of question later.
This exact idea can be also be implemented with tests. If parents make a point to know when upcoming tests are scheduled, so will students. Parents can review the test material with their child and quiz them on questions which will be found on the test. Elementary school students are not at a point where they can read a chapter in a textbook and absorb all of the information. These students learn by doing; therefore, by asking questions which stimulate their minds, they will grasp the concepts and material easier.
Parents can also improve their child’s education by asking them about their day. Asking about their teachers, friends, classes, lunch, and other topics will give parents insight on the problems their children face on a day to day basis. This also shows children that they have a support system at home standing behind them all through life. Then, children will be more likely to seek help if they have a problem, whether it is in a math class or with a friend at recess.
One last easy way to improve a child’s education is by assigning them homework each day during the summer. They really won’t enjoy doing a worksheet of math and English every day during the summer, but in the long run it will ensure that they do not forget material over the summer. It again shows young students that their parents place a high amount of importance on education. This in turn pushes students harder in class and allows them to succeed.
In general, when parents stress the importance of a quality education, children will often follow suit. This method of improving a child’s education can be used in all types of school settings. Even as education is quickly becoming digitalized, parents can continue to encourage their children to do well. Teachers are also encouraging parents to become more involved because not only does it help the teachers out, but the students as well.
As education professionals continue to invest large amounts of money into education, it is easy to forget about simple, cheap, and easy ways to improve the education of all students in the classroom. Many people in our world today focus only on the costs of cutting edge technology in the classroom as well as the high costs of transporting students and sustaining school districts. As parents attend school board and parent teacher organization meetings, many parents fail to realize that a high quality education starts at home.
When young students enter elementary school, they look up to their parents to see how they discuss and handle education. If parents take their children’s education seriously, then there is a good chance that the students will begin taking their education seriously. Parents need to become involved in their child’s education. Every night, parents can check their child’s assignment book and be up to date on the homework, tests, and projects which need to be completed. Another way for parents to stay involved is by reviewing each night’s homework assignment. This does not mean simply check it over after the kids are asleep. This means at a scheduled time each night, perhaps after dinner, go through each homework problem and make sure each question is correct with the student. If there are incorrect or blank questions, take some time to correct them and make sure that both the question and the correct answer are fully understood. Parents could also come up with their own examples based off of questions their children had difficulty with. This will allow students become more prepared in the future when they will inevitably be asked a similar type of question later.
This exact idea can be also be implemented with tests. If parents make a point to know when upcoming tests are scheduled, so will students. Parents can review the test material with their child and quiz them on questions which will be found on the test. Elementary school students are not at a point where they can read a chapter in a textbook and absorb all of the information. These students learn by doing; therefore, by asking questions which stimulate their minds, they will grasp the concepts and material easier.
Parents can also improve their child’s education by asking them about their day. Asking about their teachers, friends, classes, lunch, and other topics will give parents insight on the problems their children face on a day to day basis. This also shows children that they have a support system at home standing behind them all through life. Then, children will be more likely to seek help if they have a problem, whether it is in a math class or with a friend at recess.
One last easy way to improve a child’s education is by assigning them homework each day during the summer. They really won’t enjoy doing a worksheet of math and English every day during the summer, but in the long run it will ensure that they do not forget material over the summer. It again shows young students that their parents place a high amount of importance on education. This in turn pushes students harder in class and allows them to succeed.
In general, when parents stress the importance of a quality education, children will often follow suit. This method of improving a child’s education can be used in all types of school settings. Even as education is quickly becoming digitalized, parents can continue to encourage their children to do well. Teachers are also encouraging parents to become more involved because not only does it help the teachers out, but the students as well.
Friday, July 20, 2012
A New Push for Hands-On Learning
By Sean Scarpiello
The other day, I came across an article in the magazine “Fortune” on a new book which is challenging the ideas of traditional education. Harvard professor, David A. Kaplan’s book, Trusting What Your Told, looks at the way students are being taught and rethinks the ways to improve teaching. One of his overall ideas is to incorporate more hands on learning in the classroom and to have less structured instruction. He argues that students should be given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. How exactly will these ideas translate into the classroom?
Removing a lot of the structured curriculum mandated by the government in schools may sound like a terrible idea at first, but when we take into account what teachers could replace this time with, less structured time may be much better. If each class in school has a time devoted to simply asking questions, students may learn more. In addition, students’ interests may become peaked and they may find a passion for subjects in which they previously struggled. This, in fact, can end up boosting a student’s grade in the class. If teachers take 15 to 20 minutes at the end of each class to answer questions regarding all different areas of a subject, students may learn even more. If students do not have any questions, teachers can even come up with presentations that are thought provoking for students. Teachers also have the ability to look up the answers to many questions online and go over answers in class right as the questions are asked.
I myself would have liked the chance to be a part of such a program in school. For example, I had always found physics boring and tedious. However, if I had the opportunity to learn about the ground-breaking advances being made in advanced physics, I may have pursued the area. In classes like entry level physics, students are exposed only to the long formulas and intense amounts of math. If students were exposed to the topics advanced physicists are studying, such as string theory or faster-than-light speed, there would definitely be a growing interest among students.
One other idea I enjoy about Kaplan’s idea is that hands on teaching allows for much more learning. Currently, there is not much hands-on learning going on in schools. In my experience, I did not come into contact with hands on learning until my second year in college in Genetics class. On the very first day of this class, the professor handed out a worksheet with a pyramid of the different types of learning. At the bottom of the pyramid was memorization learning. At the top of the pyramid, there was analyzing, evaluating, and problem-solving based learning. This was the first class in my educational career where we were challenged to ask questions and evaluate our own questions. Also, all of us learned much more in this hands-on class than in other classes. This is because we were not being asked to simply memorize the material, but also put our knowledge to the test and work out problems. In addition, if students were exposed to more hands on learning earlier on in their education career, students would also develop critical thinking skills at a younger age. This would cause more students to not only be interested in certain subjects, but also be able to analyze and solve problems in these subjects at the same time.
In all, if education professions could implement some of Kaplan’s ideas into their curriculum, students would become much more adept in problem solving and critical thinking. Also, teachers would be able to motivate students to work hard in class by stimulating interest and introducing the interesting aspects of each subject being taught. Ultimately, this can lead to generations of students who are not only interested in the subject matter of courses, but also in learning.
Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/06/trusting-paul-harris/
The other day, I came across an article in the magazine “Fortune” on a new book which is challenging the ideas of traditional education. Harvard professor, David A. Kaplan’s book, Trusting What Your Told, looks at the way students are being taught and rethinks the ways to improve teaching. One of his overall ideas is to incorporate more hands on learning in the classroom and to have less structured instruction. He argues that students should be given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. How exactly will these ideas translate into the classroom?
Removing a lot of the structured curriculum mandated by the government in schools may sound like a terrible idea at first, but when we take into account what teachers could replace this time with, less structured time may be much better. If each class in school has a time devoted to simply asking questions, students may learn more. In addition, students’ interests may become peaked and they may find a passion for subjects in which they previously struggled. This, in fact, can end up boosting a student’s grade in the class. If teachers take 15 to 20 minutes at the end of each class to answer questions regarding all different areas of a subject, students may learn even more. If students do not have any questions, teachers can even come up with presentations that are thought provoking for students. Teachers also have the ability to look up the answers to many questions online and go over answers in class right as the questions are asked.
I myself would have liked the chance to be a part of such a program in school. For example, I had always found physics boring and tedious. However, if I had the opportunity to learn about the ground-breaking advances being made in advanced physics, I may have pursued the area. In classes like entry level physics, students are exposed only to the long formulas and intense amounts of math. If students were exposed to the topics advanced physicists are studying, such as string theory or faster-than-light speed, there would definitely be a growing interest among students.
One other idea I enjoy about Kaplan’s idea is that hands on teaching allows for much more learning. Currently, there is not much hands-on learning going on in schools. In my experience, I did not come into contact with hands on learning until my second year in college in Genetics class. On the very first day of this class, the professor handed out a worksheet with a pyramid of the different types of learning. At the bottom of the pyramid was memorization learning. At the top of the pyramid, there was analyzing, evaluating, and problem-solving based learning. This was the first class in my educational career where we were challenged to ask questions and evaluate our own questions. Also, all of us learned much more in this hands-on class than in other classes. This is because we were not being asked to simply memorize the material, but also put our knowledge to the test and work out problems. In addition, if students were exposed to more hands on learning earlier on in their education career, students would also develop critical thinking skills at a younger age. This would cause more students to not only be interested in certain subjects, but also be able to analyze and solve problems in these subjects at the same time.
In all, if education professions could implement some of Kaplan’s ideas into their curriculum, students would become much more adept in problem solving and critical thinking. Also, teachers would be able to motivate students to work hard in class by stimulating interest and introducing the interesting aspects of each subject being taught. Ultimately, this can lead to generations of students who are not only interested in the subject matter of courses, but also in learning.
Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/06/trusting-paul-harris/
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Computers in the Classroom Controversy
By Sean Scarpiello
While technology continues to advance at such a fast rate in the United States, schools are struggling to keep up with these fast paced changes. So, many schools in the United States continue to invest in the newest and fastest computers and tablets. Most teachers, students, and parents feel that as technology changes in the real world it is only natural for technology to progressively move into classrooms. But while most education professionals support technology in education, there are still others which feel that all of the new integrative technology in classrooms will hinder students.
One of the major fears of education professionals is complete reliance on technology. Some believe that as computers are being used more and more in our everyday lives, that schools will eventually dismiss the old fashioned pencil, paper, and textbook. I feel that this is very unlikely. Young students will always need to be taught how to write legibly, spell, and read from books. Plus, everyone continues to use these basic skills in their daily lives. Since members in society continue to handwrite notes, and read newspapers or menus there will always be a need for these skills. One problem I can see with too much technology in classrooms would be that students can often become too dependable on computers. For example, students may become too accustomed to spell checking applications on computers. These dependencies can then resurface in handwritten notes where students forget how to spell certain words simply because spell check was always there to correct it in the past.
Other professionals feel that when students learn from computers, the technology turns learning into a game rather than a sequence of problem solving. This argument may hold some water; however, I think that it is important to make learning interactive and fun for the students. This then allows students who typically lose interest or become frustrated with learning to keep trying. No one ever said that learning needs to be a long and tedious process. In fact, if students enter school with a positive mindset and are anxious to learn because it is fun, then they may learn even more. When compared to a classic pencil and paper worksheet, worksheets on an iPad allow students to check their work and see not only what they answered incorrectly, but why they were wrong. Technological “worksheets” may also allow students who excel in an area to be challenged more, while giving extra support to those who struggle with certain material. Technology essentially allows for a more individualized lesson, where as traditional education can appear cookie-cutter or not as tailored to every student’s needs.
One last problem that too much technology can cause in classrooms is the lack of personal interaction. As I have stated in past blog articles, large amounts of technology can also breed hermits. While social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter connect us, they equally disconnect us as people. In general, I feel that most education professionals recognize this idea and are ensuring that curriculums are set up so that there are enough teacher-student and student-student interactions.
Ultimately, we can see that while there is opposition to computers in classrooms, there is a lot of support for technology well. This essentially allows us to conclude that there should be a steady balance of instruction from teachers and technology. Society should never reach a point where a class is completely individualized technology based or a completely cookie-cutter education. Education needs to find a medium between the two extremes and in the next few generations of students we will be discovering exactly what works with education and technology and what does not.
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/10/02/f-vp-smol.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/68757/computers-in-schools-are-a-failure-apple-fellow-alan-kay/
While technology continues to advance at such a fast rate in the United States, schools are struggling to keep up with these fast paced changes. So, many schools in the United States continue to invest in the newest and fastest computers and tablets. Most teachers, students, and parents feel that as technology changes in the real world it is only natural for technology to progressively move into classrooms. But while most education professionals support technology in education, there are still others which feel that all of the new integrative technology in classrooms will hinder students.
One of the major fears of education professionals is complete reliance on technology. Some believe that as computers are being used more and more in our everyday lives, that schools will eventually dismiss the old fashioned pencil, paper, and textbook. I feel that this is very unlikely. Young students will always need to be taught how to write legibly, spell, and read from books. Plus, everyone continues to use these basic skills in their daily lives. Since members in society continue to handwrite notes, and read newspapers or menus there will always be a need for these skills. One problem I can see with too much technology in classrooms would be that students can often become too dependable on computers. For example, students may become too accustomed to spell checking applications on computers. These dependencies can then resurface in handwritten notes where students forget how to spell certain words simply because spell check was always there to correct it in the past.
Other professionals feel that when students learn from computers, the technology turns learning into a game rather than a sequence of problem solving. This argument may hold some water; however, I think that it is important to make learning interactive and fun for the students. This then allows students who typically lose interest or become frustrated with learning to keep trying. No one ever said that learning needs to be a long and tedious process. In fact, if students enter school with a positive mindset and are anxious to learn because it is fun, then they may learn even more. When compared to a classic pencil and paper worksheet, worksheets on an iPad allow students to check their work and see not only what they answered incorrectly, but why they were wrong. Technological “worksheets” may also allow students who excel in an area to be challenged more, while giving extra support to those who struggle with certain material. Technology essentially allows for a more individualized lesson, where as traditional education can appear cookie-cutter or not as tailored to every student’s needs.
One last problem that too much technology can cause in classrooms is the lack of personal interaction. As I have stated in past blog articles, large amounts of technology can also breed hermits. While social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter connect us, they equally disconnect us as people. In general, I feel that most education professionals recognize this idea and are ensuring that curriculums are set up so that there are enough teacher-student and student-student interactions.
Ultimately, we can see that while there is opposition to computers in classrooms, there is a lot of support for technology well. This essentially allows us to conclude that there should be a steady balance of instruction from teachers and technology. Society should never reach a point where a class is completely individualized technology based or a completely cookie-cutter education. Education needs to find a medium between the two extremes and in the next few generations of students we will be discovering exactly what works with education and technology and what does not.
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/10/02/f-vp-smol.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/68757/computers-in-schools-are-a-failure-apple-fellow-alan-kay/
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