A School That's Too High on Gizmos

In the article by Patrick Welsh, an Alexandria high school is highlighted as having a bad case of techno-lust. After moving into a brand new $98 million dollar building outfitted with LCD projectors and laptops for every student, teacher moral and enthusiasm is at its lowest ever. What was supposed to make teaching easier has taken away from actual teaching and refocused attention on the technology itself.

I thought that this was a very interesting article. I find that quite often, professors get caught up in the technology that they are trying to use and that student laptops actually promote student disengagement. A teacher should be able to teach without technology, technology should aid and benefit students when it is used, not become the main focus.


Welsh, Patrick. (February 10, 2008) A School That’s Too High on Gizmos. The
Washington Post. Last accessed May 13, 2008 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020803271.html

The Role of Gender in the Design of Electronic Learning Environments for Children

This article focused on the roles of gender in technology. It notes that most of the games available to children feature violence, war, and competition; games that appeal most to boys. Only recently have gaming companies begun to develop games aimed purely at the female market. Unfortunately many of these games stereotype girls and are based on fashion and dating. Studies show that women and girls see technology as a way to further communication and interactions. Men and boys seem to see technology as a way to transcend space and time and seem to be drawn to the technological items themselves. In light of these studies, some groups are working on creating games that facilitate discussions and provide interactive learning environments.

The gaming divide is vast. Most of the games that are not intended for educational purposes are quite obviously marketed to a male audience. Very few current games do not focus on war, competition, or conquering or vanquishing opponents. The games that are marketed to females tend to have educational motives, which is great, but not always entertaining. I think that even in light of the work that has been done to create interactive games for girls; there is still a lot of work to be done.

Bennett, Dorothy and Brunner, Cornelia. (August 1, 2000) The Role of Gender in the Design of Electronic Learning Environments for Children. TechLEARNING. Last accessed May 13, 2008 from http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/bennett.php

Assistive Technology: Enhanced Learning for All

In this article Lisa Wahl talks about success stories of assistive technology in the classroom. In addition she lists many of the applications and peripherals that can be used by students with special physical or educational needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed in 1997, states that districts must provide assistive technology to those students who qualify. These assistive devices run the gamut from talking calculators, adjustable computer monitors and keyboards, to various reading devices.

While I think that the implementation of assistive technologies in the classroom is valuable for all learners and is important in the creation of an equitable classroom, I wonder how much some of these devices cost school districts. In urban schools where the textbooks are so outdated that they are more detrimental than useful, and actual building structures are poorly maintained, how can we expect IDEA to be upheld? If districts must fund assistive technologies on their own, I think we can expect that very few schools will actually be able to provide these technologies to their classes.

Wahl, Lisa, (n.d.) Assistive Technology: Enhanced Learning for All. Edutopia, Last accessed May 13, 2008 from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enhances-learning-all

Using Wiki in Education

This article expounds the benefits of using wiki in the classroom. A hybrid of a website and a Word document; it has the readability and ease of editing that a Word document had but great flexibility and collaborative capabilities as a website. Many teachers are using wiki’s capabilities for creating simple websites, projects with peer review, group authoring, data collection and presentations.

I like the idea of using wiki’s in a classroom. Considering the hectic and varied schedules of students, I feel that it would be great as a forum for group projects and collaborations. It would give group members flexibility of time and space.

Pearce, Jason. (April 4, 2008) Using Wiki in Education. The Science of Spectroscopy. Last Accessed May 13, 2008 from http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/index.phptitle=Using_wiki_in_education