“Educators today are faced with myriad changes driven by forces outside their control. Changes are not always understood or supported by teachers though the impact … can be profound” (Thompson, Jr., 2003, p. 102). Change can be uncomfortable for anyone; however, the integration of technology into education is a change that is worth its discomfort. Several book reviews, edited by Jay C. Thompson, illustrate the need for school reform in different areas. There is no one solution that would repair the issues facing these schools, but the integration of technology would be a step toward their goals of success.
What is success? What does it look like for a school? Generally success is “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors” or “attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like” ("success", 2010, figure 1). Barbara Korth, a contributor to Liane Brouillette’s book, Charter Schools: Lessons in Reform, describes success as “an evolving multivoiced, logically diverse concept” (Thompson, Jr., 2003, p. 4). Some struggling schools have found that an increase in their technology has helped them to find improvement in student achievement (Bronston, 2009). When it comes to a school’s success, student achievement is most certainly has a significant influence. In Frederick M. Hess’s book, Revolution at the Margins: The Impact of Competition on Urban School Systems, he examines the dynamic that occurs when schools in the same geographical area compete for student enrollment (Thompson, Jr.). One reason parents may choose one school over another is sure to be its higher success. In attempt to achieve this success and enrollment, a school should consider integrating more technology.
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Eng, P. (2009). Census bureau: Home PCs on the rise. Retrieved June 13, 2010, from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98281&page=1
success. (2010). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved June 13, 2010, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/success
Thompson, J. C., Jr. (2003). Change in public education: What impact is it having upon teachers?. educational HORIZONS, 81(3), 102-106. Retrieved from http://www.pilambda.org/horizons/v81-3/books.pdf
Thompson, J. C., Jr. (2003). Controversy and school reform: Lessons in developing greater effectiveness. educational HORIZONS, 81(4), 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.pilambda.org/horizons/v81-4/books.pdf
Valdez, G. (2005). Critical issue: Technology: A Catalyst for teaching and learning in the classroom. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.htm
In this text, the author explores the role that technology currently plays in schools and in education in general, as well as future consequences that will occur depending on whether society continues to insist on a type of education that is relatively lacking in technology or decides to embrace the options available whole-heartedly. There are both gains...
In the text, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, author Diane Ravitch explores her ideological shift on school reform and the empirical evidence that caused this shift. Once a proponent and contributor of testing, accountability, choice, and market reforms, Ravitch’s support began to diminish as she realized that these current reforms were not viable options. She came to realize that the new school reforms focused entirely on structural and managerial adjustments and that no focus was given to actual learning.
The issue of whether charter or public schools are more beneficial for students has been an ongoing debate. The question that arise is which type provides a better education. Having gone to a charter high school myself, I got to see and experience first-hand the benefits of going to a charter school as well as realizing the issues charter schools face here in Oklahoma. These problems need to address in order to guarantee that students are getting the best education that they can get. We are facing an epidemic today with our education system and charter schools could be the solution.
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the American educational system has undergone much transition in response to our changing society. Though there have been many problems raised throughout the years in regard to what our school systems should be teaching our children, there have also been many developments.
Wilson, Steven F., and Research American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy. Success At Scale In Charter Schooling. Education Outlook. No. 3. American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 2009. ERIC. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.
Bushaw, William J., and Shane J. Lopez. "Public Education In The United States: A Nation Divided." Phi Delta Kappan 94.1 (2012): 9-25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Public education has been a staple to American society since the mid nineteenth century. However, in the years since, the public school system has developed many flaws. The system that was originally created to enhance the lives of students and better society now causes much detriment. Although public education claims to be the “great equalizer” there are many problems ignored by school reform policies that hinder the learning of children.
This article provided information about the future and how technology will change the way we look at education. It gave examples of technology that has already changed classrooms.
According to Lashway (1999) educators once saw educational reform as cyclical. Every ten years or so one could expect a public outburst followed by frantic efforts to mend a broken system. However, in the last twenty years there seems to have been a perpetual reform.
Kohn, Alfie. A. The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards." Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Print.
The twenty-first century has arrived, and it has brought some of the most advanced computing technologies into the classroom; this leaves us with a very important question, do we really need technology, such as iPads or computers, implemented in our learning plans? As a student that has taken entire courses on iPads or computers, I can tell you that the former is not the case. There are plenty of reasons to teach about technological advances in each individual field of learning, but, more often than not, technology is unreliable and distracting for students. Not to mention that methods of maintenance rehearsal, like taking notes by hand, are more effective for recollection of information than staring into a screen. The bottom line is, using technology as a tool for education in the classroom is not necessary because it can inhibit the way students learn material.
The use of computers in school classrooms has evolved throughout the years, and has become revolutionary in changing the way we teach and learn. Our classrooms should no longer be confined to four walls and a few teachers who are considered to be experts in knowledge. Our classrooms need to keep up with a changing society and a new world that is dependent on technology. As students graduate, they need the technological skills needed to thrive in a world in which technology sets the pace. Society expects the school system to produce functional citizens who have the skills to gain profitable employment, and not be a drain on the system.
How modern technology contributes to the problem and solutions. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 3(8), 55-62. Retrieved from http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/TLC/article/viewArticle/1693
Modern technology has made it so much easier to obtain educational information for classroom or homework assignments. It offers educational games that stimulate the brain and help children who have difficulties focusing on traditional teaching and learning procedures. College students are even taking advantage of online courses that many colleges are offering as an alternative to physically attending classes. Advances in technology and computers will continue to play an important role in education for many generations to come.
Cleaver, S. (2011, November 11). Technology in the Classroom: Helpful or Harmful? Retrieved November 2, 2013, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/magazine/article/effective-technology-teaching-child/