1. Read the following article, Laptops Completely Replace Books in Manhattan High School written by Adam Balkin of NY1. Do you think this will be how all classrooms are taught in the next few years? How do you feel about the change from textbooks to laptops? What are some of the advantages/disadvantages? Give your answer in two to three paragraphs.
A school without textbooks? Yeah right! That is what I thought before reading the article about the Hudson High School of Learning Technologies in Manhattan. This school, which currently teaches only ninth graders, only uses laptops to do all school work. When the students get to school, they log in to their teacher's webpage, get their assignments, and set straight to work. According to MOUSE Executive Director Carole Wacey, this prepares the students for today's technological world, where they will have to much of their work online.
So, do I think this will catch on to schools all over the nation in the next few years? Of course I do! With the proper training and the financial support, schools all over the U.S can stop using textbooks and start utilizing the internet. The advantages are numerous. Trees will be saved, with no more paper being used. Classes can collaborate with other professionals from around the world through video conferencing. If a student has to miss class, they will no longer be behind. They can still get on the class webpage and do all of their work. Textbooks also need to be updated constantly. These are just a few of the reasons that it is important to integrate technology into the classroom and get rid of textbooks.
There are also some disadvantages. Cost is biggest problem. Can every school afford to buy laptops for their students, or put thirty computers in every classroom? Probably not. Security is yet another issue. Many parents are nervous about their children spending so much time on computers. What if your computer crashes and all of your work is lost?
While these disadvantages seem to outweigh the advantages, I think the computers do need to replace the textbooks over time. The disadvantages can be taken care of with a little work and the advantages are too great to ignore. Our students deserve the best education possible, and integrating technology into the classroom will help prepare them for their future careers. Let's do away with textbooks and switch to computers!
1. Cost - It would be interesting to do a comparison over say 5 years. I am absolutely certain that the cost of the computer/tablet plus electronic books would be less than the books alone, especially in the upper grades or college.
ReplyDelete2. Time on computers. Well, maybe they will be studying more than now.
3. Safety - we must teach students to use the internet properly. The real danger is not preparing our students to properly use technology. that will really cost them in their future.
4. Store everything in the cloud. Much safer than having dogs around that like to eat homework!
Really the disadvantages outweigh the advantages? I think not.
Good idea. You are already in a class at least that fits your example! And there are at least a half dozen other schools that have gone electronic that I know of. More every semester!