Issues in Technology

Jessica Cornelius

Ensuring access to technology for the disadvantaged or disabled

Unfortunately I believe that there is no way to ensure that the disadvantaged or disabled have access to technology. I have been teaching computers for 6 years now and have learned that yes this is an issue but there is no easy solution. First these two groups of people would have to want to use and access technology. If they have no desire then there is no point of going any further. Access to technology for the disadvantaged is easier to fix than for that of the disabled. The disadvantaged can access computers at most public libraries with little or no fee. I am sure that there are grants or loans to help acquire technology for education. Technology for those that are disabled is more difficult to fix, due to the fact that every disability is different. Again there may be grants and loans so that they can acquire the proper technology for them, especially if the technology is needed for education. It would be hard for a place like a library to have all the hardware and software to accommodate every different kind of disability out there.

Technology and its impact on learning

This is a difficult topic for me to write about due to the fact that I teach computers. My students are on computers almost the whole time they are in class. I have never really had to think about integrating technology in my classroom because technology is my classroom. I try use the technology to my best advantage. Using things like an instant response system to assess the students in real-time and a discussion board to help them think more critically. Students can appear engaged when in front of computer but not necessarily paying attention. I try to make sure to increase student involvement in the lesson by having them read presentations aloud and then ask the class simple true false questions using the student response system to make sure they are still following along and have not spaced out. It is hard to integrate technology into lessons when both the teachers and the students do not know enough about the technology to use it properly. I have been asked by several teachers over the years if there were things that I taught or could teach their students so that a specific project could be done in other classes. Lack of training is a major reason why teachers do not use technology. That is why I feel that in some schools there need to be a technology facilitator, a teacher who is in charge of helping other teachers to use technology in their classrooms.

Cheating and Technology

Technology in my classroom is different than technology in other classes because I teach computers. My students while in my class are always on the computer. I have seen it for years that the students are very clever, from getting around web blockers, to being able to download when they should not be able to. The technology and the cleverness of my students is a issue I deal with everyday. Although the video is very interesting, I don't see this being an issue in my class. In the computer lab no books or drinks are allowed at the computer. Everything is placed on the counter in the back of my room. One thing I do to battle cheating in my class with test/quiz like assessments is one that they are given online and two I make sure the questions randomize so that no student is usually on the same questions at the same time. Most of my assessment are projects that require demonstration of skills, ie can students complete steps a, b, and c. and because of this I am learning to use adobe

captivate which records the clicks and key strokes the students make to complete the assigned tasks.

Training Teachers with Technology

It is hard to ensure any teacher can integrate technology into their classroom, but if districts provide teachers with the proper equipment and the proper training the teachers can at least have a chance. Teachers need training plain and simple. Never assume that a teacher can use the equipment provided to them. Being a computer teacher I am always being asked to help teachers with technology that they want to implement into their classrooms. I love to help them but I do not always have the time, teaching 18 separate classes in a week. If the district provide proper training the teachers will be more likely to use the technology provided to them. I say proper training because I have been witness to training in using new technology that was not much training at all. Even training cannot ensure that teachers can fully utilize the tools available to them, or should I say, will utilize the tools. Very often there is no amount of training in the world that will get certain teachers to use technology.

Technology and Competency

I agree and disagree with the report’s findings. With technology students can be become everything that was listed, but I have also watched how technology is hindering student capabilities. Due to technology, students have become less and less able to communicate properly. Student do nothing but text with cell phones and that is hindering their ability to communicate verbally with people as well as hurting their ability to write with all their text speak abbreviations. I have also watched their ability to problem solve and make decision slowly disappear as well. Students will type things into Google and if they do not find the answer they are looking for right there on the screen on the first page then they do not know what to do after that. In my class students do become effective users of productivity tools as that is the primary focus of the class. In this day and age of technology, I think that students need to learn to be independent, how to find answers and solve problems on their own. Students today at least in my school, want their hands held; they want you to walk them step by step through everything and are very unwilling to think on their own. Students also tend to view technology as a reward. Even though it may be at home, it should not be used only as a reward in school.

Internet Safety and Social Networking

There is no sure fire way to ensure that kids are safe when online, but if parents and educators take time to educate students properly then there is a better chance that students will not fall victim to online dangers. I think the world wide web can be a good thing and a bad thing. I think the world wide web has opened up so many more opportunities for students to learn than they would have with out it, but at the same time the openness of the web causes issues of safety. Because the web is open there are chances that students while looking for something innocent can fall into a not so innocent website. Simple things like typing in .com when you really meant .org can send a person to a completely different website and some sites that are not appropriate for children. Students need to be educated by both parents and educators, on what to do when they come across something inappropriate or that

makes them feel uncomfortable. Parents are key in the educating of students about online safety; educators can only do so much. Students are more likely to be online unsupervised at home than at school, that is why parents need to some up with a solid set of internet safety rules for their home.

Technology and Ethics:

Unfortunately ethics do not seem to be something that are instilled in children today. The whole sense of right and wrong has changed and to most children there is a grey area. Where it may be wrong but everyone does it so I guess it’s not really wrong. Having gone trough many different types of ethics classes myself, I would say that teaching ethics to children would not be an easy task. It would take a school wide initiative to make sure that every class and group of students is getting the same explanation. Protecting against illegal use of technology can be fairly easily prevented, if a teacher is watching their classes closely while on the computers. But I also have to say that for teachers who are not practiced in being with students on the computers a lot it is not as easy. Teaching computers daily, I have developed an eye for noticing signs of students who may be not doing what they are supposed to and I have a good eye for noticing what sites they are on as well. But for teachers that don't have that good eye, there are programs that help teachers monitor students while using computer labs. Programs like LanSchool and SynchronEyes, monitor all students computers and puts what the students have up on their screen on the teachers screen. You can also lock certain programs and even the whole computer if needed with these programs. Most schools also have a web blocker or web nanny in place so that sites with certain words in the description are blocked.

To block or not to Block:

I have experienced the issue of web blocking and it hindering learning many times in my school. Although I usually take the time to research pages and information that I want my students to access, other teachers that use my computer lab do not always do the same. They very often have chosen great sites for the students to use to find information, but because teachers and students have different access rights in our school the students cannot access the page. They pages are blocked all because of one word in the page description that the web blocker was told to block out. I don't always like the blocking of sites while at school but I understand that it is not only set up for the student’s protection but for the teacher’s protection as well. If a child accesses something, whether it be deemed inappropriate or controversial, and goes home and says something to mom or dad about it and mom or dad do not like it, who do you think will get blamed? The teacher will, that is the day and age we live in. When it comes to public access of the internet I do believe that there should be no filtering, meaning that our government has no right to interfere with what can and can not be looked at on the internet, as long as nothing illegal is occurring. Schools are different we have to abide by a whole extra set of rules beyond what our government has put in place, so if my school feels that certain things should not available to view while in school then so be it. I don't feel that they are infringing on our rights just trying to protect everyone.