Laptops in Schools
Laptop Usage in Schools The issues of laptops being used in schools are brought up throughout the whole country. Many people think that if we provide every student with a laptop, we will end up spoiling our future generation and turn them into lazy, unimaginative individuals. But with the correct usage, maintenance, and supervision, the laptop proposal can work. For one, the students would have the internet right at their fingertips, making research quick and efficient. Along with the handiness of looking up all their notes with a simple click of a button.
The laptop initiative has been proven to be very effective in schools in the United States; it has increased students productivity, accountability, and convenience. Administrators who are against the initiative of laptops argue that they are a waste of money and the schools budgets cannot handle it. They also believe that laptops would be a big distraction towards the student’s education. Some parents are also concerned about their children visiting inappropriate websites, along with having access to obscene material.
Little do they know, there are abundant ways in disciplining the opposing view point. It has been proven in schools across the country that if we provide every student with a laptop, the productivity in classes will go up. To guarantee these successful results, both the students and the teachers would have to have the most up-to-date software’s and access to the internet through the wireless networks at school. A laptop is an essential tool, similar to how a pencil is required for class.
If everyone shows up with their prepared material, the class can accomplish an increase in quality access to technology, transform quality of instructions, increase student engagement, improve academic achievement and technology literacy, increase economic competiveness, and enhance home-school connections. Along with so many more benefits. For example, if everyone had laptops, the teacher can easily send quick links of recordings or sources that relate to the curriculum. This is a more fun way to learn for most students. This can serve a sounding board for ideas, such as interactive programs, chat rooms, emails, and instant messaging.
Judging from my own experience, I would definitely prefer engaging with different resources online rather than listening to my teachers boring lectures. Therefore, if classroom activities are more interesting, than students are more likely to participate. Laptops are a great way to make things more appealing, from all the educational games that are available to enlightening videos on the web. All of these benefits do not only apply to the students, but studies show that they certainly also have a positive effect on the schools when the results of the states test come in.
Incorporating laptop usage in classrooms has also proven the development of student’s accountability. Students then have no reason for any papers being lost or not being able to receive an assignment when being absent. Teachers would also have the responsibility to post up all the required materials and objectives of the course, along with frequently updating lectures and assignments. With this technology, it makes it almost impossible for a student to make up any excuse for not doing their work, considering all the information they need to know is online.
By using laptops at school, students have the ability to challenge their assumptions by seeking expert advice and researching data. Having that access gives the students the responsibility to have all the accurate answers on a test or an essay. Another advantage of having a laptop as a digital teaching assistant, all of the visual medium, multi-media, and interactive programs, motivate the students to participate because they can work at their own pace while still being challenged to get to the next level.
This also forces the students to think critically by examining and analyzing multiple points of view by participating in online debates. Overall, it has been proven that students, who are involved with laptop usage in classrooms, are more liable to get their work done on time and more competent. Laptops, when used correctly can stimulate a different type of learning and be a great convenience for students. No more would we be sitting in class with paper and an overhead.
Paper notebooks will be old school and online and internal collaboration between students and teachers will be at an all time high. Getting rid of the notebooks and moving to laptop based study will help in getting rid of text books. No more lugging around 50 pounds worth of paper. Teachers will not have lectures anymore; instead they will have multiple study guides and utilize our Internet resources to find information. Text books will now be online, where students can quickly lookup parts of reading or study guides in a matter of minutes.
Notes will be in the form of think bubbles where student will type their notes and make them so they can truly understand what is being taught. This is extremely suitable for students for the reason that, it can help them simplify complex operations, such as converting numbers to charts by using excel processor, spell/grammar check, and office PowerPoint as a visual aid for presentations. This laptop initiative can expand student’s horizons by exposing them to new concepts and information, such as virtual tours and simulations.
Several individuals, who disagree on the whole laptop idea, think that students would take advantage of the internet access by constantly being on Face book, Twitter, or YouTube. In reality, this is no where true. There are already blocks in place to keep students off of restricted web sites, and with these laptops, the tech administrators will know exactly who is using the computer. So there really is no downside to having laptops incorporated in classrooms.
In conclusion, the entire world is changing quickly along with the rapid revolution of technology. Our society is changing as well and people are adapting to it just fine. So schools should immediately get on the laptops in classrooms project because, technology is going to be in our everyday life soon, and we need to start teaching computers and word processing at a young age and incorporate it into everything we do. I mean why not? It has been proven to better our student’s productivity, accountability, as well as their convenience.
