He mentioned
the online resources his school uses, which has a student population that is
predominately in middle to upper middle class, that let him post assignments,
calendars, grades, handouts, and other tools online. He made note how the
system has alleviated his time in some regards but created more work in others –
easier communication with parents, one more thing to maintain in the classroom,
and a greater demand of students wanting instant feedback on grades.
I remember using such a system in undergraduate school because it allowed my professors to post extra examples online that were not discussed in class or textbooks, let me print out the homework assignments and handouts without being fearful of losing them, and kept me better in tune with what was going on in the classroom. And I do remember refreshing the page constantly waiting for my grades to be posted – exacerbating the instant feedback frenzy.
But this led
me to think about the schools that have student populations with far lower
household incomes. I can see how my friend’s school could easily use this
technology since it is safe to assume the students and parents easily have
access to the internet and computers at home. This isn’t necessarily the case
for our poorer school districts. So are there any teachers out there who work
in low-income districts that use this technology and have found creative
solutions to overcome the lack of internet access at home for students? What
was the justification to fund such technology in these districts?
And for
every teacher who uses this technology, how has it helped you in your classroom?
Do you wish these services would improve in certain areas? And are there
unintended consequences from using such technology that have in some ways made
your job a little harder?
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