- Positions of supporters
- Keeps the attention/interest of the students
- Students are developing in a society where they find entertainment and attention in front of a tv screen.
- Students are more likely to pay attention to something that catches their interest.
- Quicker learning
- Immediate obtainment
- Immediate feedback
- Information is more accessible
- School (4, 6)
- Home
- Mobile (3, 7)
- Libraries, etc.
- Some technologies can be used to reach students who are difficult to reach
- Students with special needs (1)
- ESOL
- Document translation
- Ability to communicate outside the classroom
- BlackBoard
- Class pages (wiki, facebook, blog)
- Is the learned technology going to benefit them in the job market?
- They will be familiar with the programs and technology that they would be exposed to in their specified job.
- Knowing this technology could possibly give them an advantage over someone else they are competing with.
- Positions of skeptics
- Teachers don’t know how to use the technology
- Do not use the technology on their own time to be familiar.
- Not up to date with the knowledge of the technology.
- Students don’t know how to use the technology
- Haven’t been trained fully at school.
- New technology to them. They haven’t used it at home.
- Teachers aren’t willing to use the technology
- Laziness
- Preparation is time consuming
- Obtaining and maintaining the technology is expensive
- Replacing parts
- Upgrading programs
- Poorly funded schools
- Schools use money for other purposes (2)
- Funding to educate the faculty and staff on the use of the technology
- Time to schedule training
- Reimbursement for training
- Does the learning of technology teach the students or entertain them?
- Is there a purpose to using the technology? (5)
- Can they learn just as equally without the use of the technology?
- Will the information they learn in school benefit them in the job market?
- Will they be using these technology skills in their job?
- Is this technology current or is there something else out there they would use instead?
(1)Xin, J. F., & Sutman, F. X. (2011). Using the smart board in teaching social stories to students with autism. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(4), 18-24.
(2) Woody, W. D., Daniel, D. B., & Baker, C. A. (2010). E-books or textbooks: Students prefer
textbooks. Computers and Education, 55, 945-948.
(3)Fons, J. (2010). A year without computers: tablet computers in the classroom. The Physics Teacher, 48, 481-483.
(4) Reeve Boles, S. (2011, Summer). Using Technology in the Classroom. Science Scope, 34(9), 39- 43.
(5) Sanchez, J., Salinas, A., Contreras, D., & Mayer, E. (2011). Does the new digital generation of learners exist? A qualitative study. Brittish Journal for Educational Technology, 42(4), 543-556.
(6) Partridge, J., McClary King, K., & Bian, W. (2011). Perceptions of heart rate monitor use in physical education classes. The Physical Educator, 30-43.
(7) Banister, S. (2010). Integrating the iPod touch in K-12 education: Visions and vices. Computers in the Schools, 27, 121-131.