Technology in the Classroom

Recently I read an article in a Southern California newspaper about the implementation of one-to-one iPads in upper elementary grades (3rd-6th grade).  

To me, the results in this Encinitas public elementary school pretty much mirror what other public and private schools are experiencing with respect to technology, specifically one-to-one student devices, be they laptops, iPads, or iTouches.

Clearly, the use of technology in schools is becoming more and more ubiquitous, including in elementary classrooms. 

For most children today who are growing up in an age where they have access to portable devices and the Internet from birth, their expectation is their learning in schools will be an extension of this connected world.

One of the teachers in this Encinitas school completed a research project about the use of iPads in her district.

The subject of her research focused on three topics:

• How was technology affecting kids and their learning?
• Are iPads motivational for students? 
• How do students and their parents perceive the iPads?

Not surprisingly, her research found that kids found iPads to be a valuable tool. 90% of students said that iPads aided their learning. 

Why? They liked the instant feedback that comes with iPads. They can get immediate feedback on what they do and don't  understand, rather than waiting for the teacher to grade their work. Students also reported being more engaged in their learning process.

The academic discipline students felt iPads made easier to understand was math. This is probably a result of iPad math apps providing a personalized step-by-step process, including student-accessible animation, of how to complete a question correctly as well as a more interactive process that often includes awards/achievements like moving to another level.

Not surprising, parents were a little more skeptical about iPads in the classroom. Most recognized that their child was more engaged using the iPads, and they liked that their child was being exposed to a variety of computer programs. But they also worried that technology in the classrooms was in some ways a novelty and that the excitement of using it would  wane for their child over time. They believed that while their child's classroom could benefit from technology, it should never replace hands-on/hands-with learning, physical education, paperback books, and even cursive writing.

To me what was missing in her research was to what extent teachers were using technology. Were they using iPads to support their current teaching methods or were they using it to change how they taught? 

As an English teacher with students who have access to their own laptop in my classroom, I have not yet made the transition to teaching differently. (I recently read an article about essay-grading software; it both intrigued and frightened me.) 

For students the classroom is an opportunity to gain/access knowledge and to use that knowledge through critical and creative thinking.

Teachers and parents like me need to recognize that the old rules and paradigm of the classroom need to change.

In this Encinitas school, 3rd-6th grade students spend up to 70% of their day on iPads, and the school is seriously considering providing kindergarten through 2nd graders with iPads as well.

Yes, there remain questions about how to use technology in the classroom regarding content, pedagogy, and student assessment, yet kids clearly see that portable devices are essential, not an add on. 
It's up to us--as adults--to change our view of education.

Yes, I'm  a little nervous, but I am also excited about the future of education.