Computers In Classrooms
Computers may not boost student achievement
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
Give a kid a laptop and it might not make any difference.
That's the message from research presented here Monday, which suggests that spending millions of dollars to bring technology into kids' homes and schools has decidedly mixed results.
Taxpayer-supported school computer and Internet giveaways are political gold, but studies have questioned whether they actually help student achievement. This research, presented at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting, confirms skeptics' doubts.
In one study, researchers from Syracuse and Michigan State universities examined a program that gave laptop computers to middle-school students in Ohio in 2003. Preliminary findings are mixed.
"Overall, we don't know if it is a worthwhile investment," says Syracuse researcher Jing Lei.
About 37% of the children say they stare at the screens for more than three hours a day; a few report more than five hours a day. Parents help kids with homework more often and students' grades benefit slightly, but teachers report more classroom distractions as students check e-mail. And students actually feel distracted: In the first year, their grade-point averages rose modestly, but when Lei and a colleague asked them to estimate their GPAs, students actually believed they dropped.
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
"They felt that time is not used as effectively as before," she says.
Laptop giveaways are the latest educational fad; five states either have or will soon have them. More than one in eight school districts have some sort of program in which every child gets a PC.
Evidence has shown that computers are finding their way even into the homes and schools of the nation's poorest students. A Tennessee study found that schools serving low-income children had more computers than your typical school — 125 for poor kids' schools vs. 114 elsewhere, and computers in low-income schools often were more connected to the Internet.
But using computers, for instance, to teach reading in primary grades actually showed negative results.
Technology giveaways aren't limited to U.S. schools. Researchers in England studied 80 schools that had received electronic "whiteboards," computerized chalkboards that allow teachers to use special markers for lessons. The $2,000 whiteboards also allow them to save their work to a computer and even surf the Internet with a class.
Researchers found that teachers and students like them, but that they have a "very small and short-lived" effect on skills.
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
But some policymakers seem intent on such programs even before results are in. Steve Higgins of the University of Newcastle says results were not yet compiled before British officials expanded the pilot program nationwide.
Macleans Magazine June 6/06.."How Computers make our kids stupid "there is evidence, that too much cyber-time dumbs down our children" those same computer-less students out perform peers who frequently access the technology. "Anything that I would have learned from a computer I'm sure I learned better from a teacher"
The accoutrements and relentless upgrading that they demand are expensive nearly $6 billion per year in the USA.
SD23 ex-superintendent Rubadeau says that students don't get enough time in the (computer) labs...the wave of the future is wireless laptops. Opposition to Rubadeau's thinking includes Allison Armstrong of Toronto who says ..there is no compelling evidence that computers help develope intellectural or emotional intellegence in any way. Readers in the past have disagreed with Rubadeau manipulating facts to suit his needs.. Rubadeau Manipulates
In the USA a group of 60 health, child-development, education and technology experts, has called for a moritorium on new computers for preschool and elementary classroomsin its report "Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood"..which argues that they may stunt both social and technical imagination eroding children's minds.
A Munich economist found that kids without computers do better that those with computers.
"I'm glad I didn't have computers.
click here for the full McLeans article
Oct 20/07 SD23 Classroom Computers Follow-up Article from Castanet.
There have been many problems with the SD23 laptop program so far.
Massive repair costs, over $100,000 for the first year.
Incredible weight the kids have on their backs.
Kids are reporting headaches, wrist problems and back pain are a few.
Reports of kids sharing porn by bringing pictures to the schools.
A story of how successfull the program has been in Maine USA.
After four years, the Maine program showed a zero increase in the kids test scores at a cost of over 50 million dollars.
for more discussion http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?t=10049
Click on..Students Against Computers & Free Laptop Program Dumped
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
Give a kid a laptop and it might not make any difference.
That's the message from research presented here Monday, which suggests that spending millions of dollars to bring technology into kids' homes and schools has decidedly mixed results.
Taxpayer-supported school computer and Internet giveaways are political gold, but studies have questioned whether they actually help student achievement. This research, presented at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting, confirms skeptics' doubts.
In one study, researchers from Syracuse and Michigan State universities examined a program that gave laptop computers to middle-school students in Ohio in 2003. Preliminary findings are mixed.
"Overall, we don't know if it is a worthwhile investment," says Syracuse researcher Jing Lei.
About 37% of the children say they stare at the screens for more than three hours a day; a few report more than five hours a day. Parents help kids with homework more often and students' grades benefit slightly, but teachers report more classroom distractions as students check e-mail. And students actually feel distracted: In the first year, their grade-point averages rose modestly, but when Lei and a colleague asked them to estimate their GPAs, students actually believed they dropped.
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
"They felt that time is not used as effectively as before," she says.
Laptop giveaways are the latest educational fad; five states either have or will soon have them. More than one in eight school districts have some sort of program in which every child gets a PC.
Evidence has shown that computers are finding their way even into the homes and schools of the nation's poorest students. A Tennessee study found that schools serving low-income children had more computers than your typical school — 125 for poor kids' schools vs. 114 elsewhere, and computers in low-income schools often were more connected to the Internet.
But using computers, for instance, to teach reading in primary grades actually showed negative results.
Technology giveaways aren't limited to U.S. schools. Researchers in England studied 80 schools that had received electronic "whiteboards," computerized chalkboards that allow teachers to use special markers for lessons. The $2,000 whiteboards also allow them to save their work to a computer and even surf the Internet with a class.
Researchers found that teachers and students like them, but that they have a "very small and short-lived" effect on skills.
Click for a List of Kelowna area Private Schools
But some policymakers seem intent on such programs even before results are in. Steve Higgins of the University of Newcastle says results were not yet compiled before British officials expanded the pilot program nationwide.
Macleans Magazine June 6/06.."How Computers make our kids stupid "there is evidence, that too much cyber-time dumbs down our children" those same computer-less students out perform peers who frequently access the technology. "Anything that I would have learned from a computer I'm sure I learned better from a teacher"
The accoutrements and relentless upgrading that they demand are expensive nearly $6 billion per year in the USA.
SD23 ex-superintendent Rubadeau says that students don't get enough time in the (computer) labs...the wave of the future is wireless laptops. Opposition to Rubadeau's thinking includes Allison Armstrong of Toronto who says ..there is no compelling evidence that computers help develope intellectural or emotional intellegence in any way. Readers in the past have disagreed with Rubadeau manipulating facts to suit his needs.. Rubadeau Manipulates
In the USA a group of 60 health, child-development, education and technology experts, has called for a moritorium on new computers for preschool and elementary classroomsin its report "Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood"..which argues that they may stunt both social and technical imagination eroding children's minds.
A Munich economist found that kids without computers do better that those with computers.
"I'm glad I didn't have computers.
click here for the full McLeans article
Oct 20/07 SD23 Classroom Computers Follow-up Article from Castanet.
There have been many problems with the SD23 laptop program so far.
Massive repair costs, over $100,000 for the first year.
Incredible weight the kids have on their backs.
Kids are reporting headaches, wrist problems and back pain are a few.
Reports of kids sharing porn by bringing pictures to the schools.
A story of how successfull the program has been in Maine USA.
After four years, the Maine program showed a zero increase in the kids test scores at a cost of over 50 million dollars.
for more discussion http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?t=10049
Click on..Students Against Computers & Free Laptop Program Dumped
Click on...Less Costly Computers
Click on... List of Kelowna area Private Schools
posted by FlashNews @ 4/12/2006 12:22:00 AM
<< Home