Stafford County Public Schools’(SCPS) new “Bring Your Own Technology” Policy (B.Y.O.T.) seemed as exciting to the students as Christmas morning is to most children. This new institution allows students access to their smart phones and personal computers and tablets in class for educational purposes. The policy also provides guidelines as to what circumstances allow for use of these items. Adding this new policy raised multiple questions in parents and students of Stafford County’s Brooke Point High School: What exactly is the new policy? Why is there such a sudden change? How will this really change things in the classroom? People questioned the reason for the new policy, and were curious about what would happen once it went into full effect and as the year progressed. The B.Y.O.T. Policy creates both positive effects, such as ease of research, and negative effects, such as a lack of ability to participate and more distraction, in the classroom.
Brooke Point High School’s administration makes an effort to support and monitor this policy on a daily basis. The policy was intended to assist in the county’s mission to “challenge each student to achieve excellence in a global society” and to “develop [twenty-first] century skills…” (SCPS). The product that seems to be intended by this policy is one of educational advancement and improved interaction among students on the internet. When constructing the policy, the school board had the intention that “The use of privately owned electronics is solely limited to support and enhance instructional activities…” (SCPS). The idea that using technology in the classroom may have a positive effect on education and communication skills played a large role in the decision to create, implement, an...
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...mire, Ryan E. (2010). The Use of Instructional Technology in the Classroom: Selection and Effectiveness. http://www.usma.edu/cfe/Literature/Dunmire_10.pdf
Gasell, Crystal A. (2008). Benefits of Technology in Today’s Classrooms. http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/gasellc/metportfolio/assignments/Synthesis%20Paper_Gasel l.pdf
SCPS. (n.d.). Stafford County Public Schools “Bring Your Own Technology” (B.Y.O.T.) Responsible Use Guidelines. Stafford County Public Schools Code of Conduct. http://stafford.brooke.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/120789/File/P arent%20and%20Student%20Forms/Code%20of%20Conduct/Forms/BYOT%20Guidelin es.pdf?sessionid=09034448512c78169c0ca357815f82af
Valenzuela, Susie. (n.d.). Technology’s Effect on Education. U.S. News University Directory. http://www.dominicanu.com/masters-in-education-resources/technology-effect-on- education/
On September 21, 2015, I was assigned this case to follow up. This case involves Ms. Hadja Bah a thirteen year old Francis Hammond School student. Ms. Bah has a previous runaway history and refuses to follow curfew set at home. Hadja had runaway several times (15-138346/15-121625/15-118272) which I have investigated several of the incidents. CPS investigator Ms. Alice Keany did a family assessment for the Bah family.
The Tinker v Des Moines School District issue was in 1969 and was about the Vietnam war , students in this school were not granted permission to protest the war. They could not show their feelings about the war. During this time many people did not approve of the war, many people were bitter over the whole subject, especially over the draft.
The United States is a country that thrives through technological advancement. The wealth and success of this nation is dependent on providing every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, with the opportunity to obtain technological skills that are essential for a successful future. Unfortunately, educational funding for technology has failed to take precedent. In realizing that, the question then becomes, how is a country expected to thrive from the use and advancement of technology, when failing to properly train future leaders? Funding must be provided for schools to purchase technological equipment, such as computers, in order to ensure that each child has an equal chance to thrive in a country that is defined by its advancement in technology.
Technology can disrupt people’s train of thought. To begin with, many people around the world use technology. Electronics can help students and also affect them in many ways, but whether or not shutting down all electronics can help. Schools should participate in “Shut Down Your Screen Week” because of many reasons.
The organization I work for is a nursing home management company. That’s the simple definition. Health Services Management Group manages of the operations of eleven (11) skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and three (3) home health agencies (HHA). Each of the SNFs and HHAs are operated/licensed by a single purpose entity. Of these long term care providers, one (1) SNF and two (2) HHAs are operated as non-profit organizations. The purpose of the non-profit providers, ultimately, is to fund The Trousdale School. “Trousdale School serves high functioning adults with intellectual disabilities, providing academics and life skills for the purpose of learning independence.” 1
Almost everyone attends a school at one time in their life, whether the classroom includes technology or not. Research shows that technology isn’t used as often as one might think. The article, “High Access and Low Use of Technology in High School Classrooms” illustrates the use of technology by stating that only one in ten elementary and middle school teachers are daily users of computers (Cuban, Kirkpatrick, Peck). Most schools now have classrooms that use technology throughout the entire class time and even at home to do homework. Although some people might agree with the use of technology in class, it is more harmful to the students than useful.
An interview with Karen Cator, director of the Office of Educational Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Education, is presented. When asked about a good example of the use of technology in education, Cator discusses Mooresville Graded School District in Mooresville, North Carolina, which use laptops and interactive whiteboards in education. Cator also addresses the importance of student engagement in education, online courses, and the use of digital media devices in classrooms.
...ass. School administrators should remember not to force technology into their curriculum unless they are confident in the student 's ability to learn and correctly recall information presented. When students have no desire to learn and are given tools to distract themselves technology hurts them, or rather their test scores, more than students who learn with book or oral based teaching because the absence of distraction. Computers and iPads are very difficult to repair or replace compared to books, and because most people are not yet “technologically literate” enough to perform basic tasks for the maintenance of their computer, then it would just be easier to use books. These issues create question as to if students are ready for classes to require computer knowledge when some have difficulty learning the material as it has always been learned for thousands of years.
Technology is Changing Education The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have expanded the way in which education can be delivered to the students of today. Today's networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to the practice of learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers and multi-based educational tools are facilitating learning and enhancing social interaction. Computer based telecommunications can offer enormous instructional opportunities, but educators will need to adapt current lesson plan to incorporate this new medium into all the classrooms.
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.
Technology, as we all know, is helping and improving many disciplines of life. Technology, in Britannica Encyclopedia, is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life. (Britannica, 2009)
Ever since incidents such as 9/11 and Columbine, high schools have started implementing new rules regarding cellphones. Cellphones attract the attention of building managers, teachers, parents, and students. Although teachers see them as a distraction and a way to cheat, they can be quite helpful to students. School districts should permit students to use cellular devices in school for purposes of improving their education and providing themselves with a sense of security. By permitting the use of cellphones in school, students can increase their knowledge and complete school work by using applications and other features on their smartphones.
Internet access in schools has experienced an extreme increase within the last decade. By the fall of the year 2000, 98% of the public schools throughout the United States reported to be connected to the Internet (NCES, 2000). This is a reported 63% increase since the year 1994. Also in 2000, the ratio of computers to students was one to six, an increase from the 1994 ratio of one computer for every eleven students (Mendels, 1999). Aside from having Internet access in school libraries and computer labs, the abundance in individual classrooms has dramatically increased. This allows for Internet learning to be more readily available to students on a daily basis. Statistically over 70% of schools have this access in at least one of their classrooms (Mendels, 1999).
Andy Carvin states “ internet access in schools isn’t worth a hill of beans if teachers aren’t prepared to take full advantage of technology” (2000). Schools spend a lot of money on computer hardware and software as well as other technologies without realizing that many of their employees are unprepared to include them in their teaching and use them to their advantages. Educators often use technology as a classroom management tool rather than an educational one, allowing computer time as a reward for good behavior (Clark & Gorski, 2001). The problem with this is that students learn to use the computer for games and such because it is their reward instead of using it on their own time for educational purposes. This is teaching them the wrong idea. Margaret Honey, director of the Center for Children and Technology in NYC said it best, “The bottom line is, you don’t just put technology into schools or into homes and expect miracles to happen. The technology is only as good as the program that surrounds it” (Meyer, 2002, p.2).
There is no doubt that technology has changed the world in which we live. The world has been transformed with new advances in technology. This is why it is so important to educate elementary students on technology education. The use of technology in education provides students with technology literacy, information literacy, capacity for life-long learning and other skills necessary for the 21st century workplace. If students are taught how to use laptops to help them in their career now than it can increase productivity in the future. “America is falling from its once prominent position as the world’s leader in technology and science. Technology helps prepare students for a world where they will compete with the best and brightest individuals