Wishfull bloggin
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Equal Opportunity For All Students
Why is it that some schools have technology more readily available than others? My school currently has one computer lab for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. One computer lab! The school I recently moved from had 3 computer labs and it was an elementary school with substantially less students. Yes, it was a rhetorical question. The answer is that all schools do not get equal allocations of funds.
The school I moved to is an inner-city school with a more diverse enrollment of students. According to “No Child Left Behind”, our school is failing. Therefore, our school does not get the same type of funding as a “passing” school. Yeah, that makes sense! Give the money and funding to the schools who are already succeeding while the failing schools get no additional support. Now I’m not saying we should get more funding than the passing schools. It should be an equal distribution of the money. Our school could use more technology in order to motivate, engage and prepare students for the future. As long as money and funding is not equally distributed to all schools (not based on social-economic areas) those inner-city schools will continue to suffer.
Hoggin the computer lab
It’s obvious that technology is a fantastic motivating tool, as well as, a great source for students across all curriculums. That is if you can get into the computer lab! Has this ever happened to you? You have a great idea for your students to show their knowledge of geographical features of the African Sub-Sahara. You need them in the computer lab because…it’s time to move on to the next indicator in the curriculum. The problem is, the computer lab is booked solid. Not just for a few days, but for the next three weeks! To rub more salt in the wound, the teachers hoggin’ the lab are having their students work on “Type To Learn”, researching and typing up reports. That’s all great, but I’ve got big plans for that lab! Can you feel my pain. Of course you can. We’ve all been there before. The question is, what can we do about it? How do we integrate technology in our class if our peers are hoggin’ it up?
I try to use E-Instruction, Power Points, United Streaming and use the Internet through my data projector as a means to facilitate the information but nothing compares to having each student on a computer. I’ve tried the mobile lab but teachers are getting wise to the availability of that and it is now just as hard to reserve a spot with the mobile lab. So, what should I do? What have you done?
If MSA Were Tested, We’d Have 3 Computer Labs At Our School.
In 2009, our middle school will be completely renovated. They are tearing it down and re-modeling it. We will have new heating systems, new lighting, an upgraded cafeteria, the office will have new surveliance technology and a new security system, brand new flooring, bigger more spacious classrooms, a whole new wing for the 8th graders will be added. Everything! Everything that is except for new computer labs! We currently have one computer lab with brand new Dell computers. Don’t get me wrong, the lab is state of the art! The problem is you have to reserve a spot a month in advance if you want to get in. And if you don’t finish in the time frame you reserved for, oh well! Better luck next month.
My point is, I don’t think the powers that be really want us in the computer lab. If they did, we would have one for every grade level. Now, if technology was MSA tested, you better believe we would have readily available access to the lab or multiple labs. Our school’s main focus is Language Arts and Math. If you’re not learning how to write an effective BCR or hitting every single one of those curriculum indicators, then we can’t worry about you. The politics of the whole situation is extremenly evident when meeting after meeting all we ever discuss is how to get those kids achieving at a higher level. Hello, having access to computers is extremely motivated and students can learn the same skills using technology.
Students can hone in on their writing skills by creating classroom Blogs or Podcasts after the writing process. Math teachers can have their students create a Wiki page to share mathematical concepts. Social studies teachers can use Photostory or Movie Maker to create a newsbroadcast of what they learned about Africa. The possibilities are endless.
Unfortunately, the students at our school might never be introduced to any of these wonderful programs.
