Journal #3 Keeping the Peace

Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

Abstract: Nueva school district in Hillsborough CA introduced students at a middle school to a personal laptop program. All of the students were allocated their own personal laptops that they were to use for specific assignments. The students were allowed to take the laptops home and use them there as well. As middle school students love to gossip and talk with their friends and these computers all came with the instant messenger program iChat, students quickly abused their privilege by constantly chatting with each other both at school and home. This disrupted school lessons and enabled the students to indulge in a technology at home that some parents were opposed to. Parents didn’t hesitate to tell the schools exactly how they felt. While some parents were outraged and strictly forbid their children from using iChat at home, others advocated for this new technology as it was a way to abolish student “cliques” and promote freedom of speech. The middle school was overwhelmed with parent complaints as well as praises and was forced to remove iChat from the computers. The students still use the computers, but now before the incoming sixth graders receive their now laptops, parents and students alike receive training by Common Sense Media on how to properly use these instruments of education in a constructive manner.

Questions:
1. How could students owning personal laptops advance education?
By providing full computer access to all of the children in the school at any time, the students are bound to become extremely computer savvy. All students of this middle school are most likely competent in programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power point and possibly even programming. This exposure to computers at such a young age will most likely encourage students to pursue a computer based career as many of them will develop a passion for electronics early on. Whether or not this is the career choice that they decide is right for them, computer literacy is necessary for almost every job in today’s society.

2. What are your personal thoughts/reflections on the students having access to
instant messenger programs such as iChat?
I don’t believe that students should have access to iChat. It is unnecessary for students to be able to communicate with each other during class. Instead they should be focused on the lesson that the facilitator is teaching. It would be difficult to determine which students were typing notes and which were chatting with their friends during a lecture. Therefore I believe that this distraction would lessen the quality of education that the students receive. I do believe that computer literacy as well as ethical computer usage training at a young age is important. However, I think that irrelevant school programs such as iChat or iTunes should be denied to students on school computers. If the student’s parents decide to let their children use these programs on their personal home computers, then that is their own prerogative.