en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 08:50:18 GMT 15 By Christopher Bower
In this day and age, it seems that technology is everywhere. So why can’t it be in the classroom? Yes, there are computers and video cameras for certain classes, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about iPods, iPhones, and other handheld electronic devices. Currently the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has a policy that bans such devices during school hours and during classes. Students are allowed to use the devices before and after school, though. Many of us with electronic devices have often thought during class “Man, there’s an app on my phone/iPod that could help me with this assignment.” But we are unable to access our electronic savior because of the policy. I find that the policy banning electronic devices appears to be a bit hypocritical. In many schools, one of the goals is to get students to be proficient users of technology. But if the students can’t use the technology that they will be most in contact with, how can they become proficient? I understand why the district has the policy; it’s because they don’t want the students distracted from their work with their electronic devices. But what if those devices were able to help a student do their work? I know that out of the 500,000+ apps in the Apple App Store, there are at least a few that can be helpful in the class. There are multiple apps that convert units, as well as one that it is a graphing calculator. Then there’s Appzilla 2, which is 120 apps in one. It has a translator, a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator, a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculator, a currency converter, a dictionary, a day counter, a metronome, a thesaurus, a rhymer (gives words that rhyme with word you put in), and much, much, more. And if the district won’t let the students use their own devices, why not supply the students with devices that suit their potential needs. At a summer camp I went to once, the counselors use iPods to have the students select their afternoon electives. It was just a few webpages in Safari, but it worked. For example, if you gave the students iPod Touches, they wouldn’t be able to text or call with them. If you got third generation or older, they wouldn’t be able to take pictures with them as those models don’t have cameras. And the district could select what apps to put on the iPods. This concept is already happening in some LAUSD schools where children are given laptops and iPads to help with learning. This idea (mainly the iPads) helps with textbook costs, as sending out a digital copy of a book costs less than a hardbook. So with all of these reasons to revoke or at least tweak the policy, why is the district holding back? Romantic Age poet William Blake illustrates perfectly what happens when stubborn people never stray from their opinion. “The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind,” Blake says. I believe that the metaphorical reptiles Blake talks about get in your mind and make you even more stubborn. Hopefully LAUSD has not contracted these reptiles yet, for if they have, we, along with future generations, may not be able to use helpful, useful, technology of their own accord. ]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:40:54 GMT