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Embrace Technology at Your Child's School
Since the use of technology will only increase in schools, think about ways in which you, as a parent, can help your child and his school move ahead in the technical arena. Here are a few ideas for getting more involved at school and feeling more connected to your child's educational process:
See if your child's school has a Parent/Teacher Technology Committee and volunteer to participate.
Encourage your PTA to hold a "Technology Night" at school for kids, parents and teachers. Parents can be introduced to the technology in the classroom so they have a better base of knowledge about what types of technology their child is using at school.
Be knowledgeable about your school's Internet usage policy and any other policies or guidelines that are enforced including individual teacher's requirements for use of the Internet for research or other purposes.
Education
Our High-Tech Schools
TECHNOLOGY IN LOCAL CLASSROOMS
By Karen Higman
Another school year has begun. Now that the kids are (hopefully) done complaining about getting up in the morning, what else is new about your child's school year? Chances are it has something to do with technology and the innovative ways in which it is being used locally from kindergarten classrooms to high schools. If you feel as if the changes in classroom-based technology are happening at warp-speed, you are not alone.
Despite budgetary cuts in recent years to traditional components of educational curriculums (like art and music), the integration of technology has increased. Much of the spending nationally has been on the basic need to bring Internet access to schools. In 1994, only 35% of public schools in the United States had Internet access, and by 2002, that figure rose to 99%. Today, statistically, virtually all schools are connected.
Bringing the Internet to schools is not revolutionary when you consider the administrative needs of officebased employees who require the tool. The "cool" factor comes from the use of technology directly in the classroom, or instructional technology, which has transformed the way many students are learning. Public and private schools in the Rochester area mirror the national trend of incorporating increasingly higher levels of technology in the classroom.
Local Schools Successfully Incorporate Technology
At Bishop Kearney High School (a Golisano Education Partner and private Catholic school in Rochester) technology is part of a comprehensive strategy that has transformed the school. According to Kearney President Donna Dedee, her school's approach has been successful because it is about fully integrating technology into every classroom and giving both teachers and students the training and support that they need.
"At Kearney, we not only gave each student a laptop, but we revamped the entire curriculum so that the technology is used to increase global awareness and integrate 21st century skills," says Dedee. "We haven't thrown out the pencils and we still have personal conversations with parents and kids. However, we know that laptops and interactive white boards are vital tools which engage our students on a higher level and truly prepare our graduates for college and beyond."
It's not just private schools that are becoming more tech-savvy; public school districts around Rochester are operating differently, too. Just get on the website for the Brighton School District and you will see that 94 teachers at the Twelve Corners Middle School and 85 teachers at the high school have their own webpages. These webpages include everything from up-to-date homework assignments to resource materials that students access at home. The district's Middle School has a Technology Committee (which started 10 years ago) and has already accomplished such tasks as helping teachers to use laptops in the classroom (a 2003/4 initiative) and supporting and installing data-video projectors and SMART Boards in many classrooms (which began in 2006).
Okay parents, time to pause. Perhaps you're asking, what's a SMART Board? The simple answer is to ask your kids: they probably know! The longer explanation is that a SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard combined with a computer which enables the teacher to display computer applications using a touch control. Many schools have at least a few SMART Boards installed in classrooms already and chances are that your child has seen one in action, even on the elementary and middle school level. What new technology could be coming down the road in just a few years? There is great buzz about "open source textbooks" which would allow teachers to download chunks of different materials from various sources and combine them to form their own version of a textbook. This tool would all but eliminate the need for large-scale printing of textbooks (not to mention saving parents money on buying all those fabric book covers!)
How Does Technology Help Our Kids?
There are few research studies that show the long-term educational effects of technology on children who have been exposed to these tools throughout their elementary or secondary school careers. This is because the technology has not been around in the classrooms long enough yet to render any conclusions. However, local educators and national experts agree that they really have no choice but to jump on the technology bandwagon. "In order to prepare our students for college or future employment," explains Donna Dedee, "we must expose them to the Internet and the use of laptops in a responsible manner that is linked to overall educational objectives."
In the latest issue of EDTECH, an online newsletter, Patrick Hockey from the Phillipsburg Osceola School District in Pennsylvania points out that two of the three components of the educational system – curriculum and assessment – haven't changed. The thing that has changed is instruction, and in particular, how instruction is delivered. In other words, if the thought of all this technology is a little overwhelming to you as a parent and you are worried that your child's school experience may not resemble your own, take heart. Kids are still learning about math, science and English – it's just the tools that deliver the material that have changed. For comparison sake, think about the change from the old "ditto machines" that were used in schools through the 1960s and early 1970s to the current copiers. Later generations of children may never have experienced the cranking of the ditto machine or the infamous smell that came from the ditto copies, but did it hurt their education at all?
One cautionary note: a recent article by a professor at Elon University pointed out that 36.8% of the students that he surveyed felt that teachers taught too fast when using technology and that they did not allow time for the students to absorb the material. As parents, we should talk to our kids not only about what they are learning in school, but how they are learning it. Chat with your child about what technology their teacher might be using and see if they are comfortable following along with the lesson. Also, as a parent, take advantage of any electronic tools that will help you to be more informed about your child's school or class assignments. Does your child's teacher post assignments online and can your child access those assignments or materials from a home computer? Is your child's teacher open to corresponding by email? Can you subscribe to a Principal's electronic newsletter which will keep you better informed about activities? All of these tools will help you, and your child, with their school experience.
Karen Higman is the Senior Vice President of the YMCA of Greater Rochester. She is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Genesee Valley Parent Magazine.
This article appeared originally in the November 2009 issue of Genesee Valley Parent Magazine