Joshua Antonious
Professor Megan Keaton
ENGL 1103
14 April 2013
A 21st
Century School
Setting: A classroom in
Tarpon Springs, FL at East Lake High School.
Characters: Ms. Cathy (Teacher), Josh (Student/Narrator),
Sammy (Student), Katie (Student), Beverly McIntyre (Teaching Assistant), Nina
Thomas (Herself), Francesc Pedró
(Himself), Janet Boysen (Herself), Council of Economic
Advisers (As Whitney)
Ms.
Cathy: “Today we have a special treat for you guys! About
half way through class we will be stopping our work for the day and will be
having a few visitors from the government come and talk to us about technology
in our schools. Make sure you pay close attention and do not, I repeat DO NOT,
be rude or disrespectful. If I have to speak with any of you regarding your behavior
during these presentations I will be furious and you may or may suffer and dock
in your grade. She smiles maniacally. Now
for the assignment until our guests arrive.
Turn to page 178 in your text and begin reading through page 190, making
sure to take notes in the margin”
Josh:
raises his hand, “Ms. Cathy?” she
nods, “My battery is dead, I can’t open my book, do you have another tablet or
a charger I could use?”
Josh:
To the audience, “We don’t use paper
textbooks in our school district anymore. We are a technology friendly school
in which we bring tablets to school that have our books loaded onto them.”
Ms.
Cathy: “I don’t, you should have come to class prepared.”
She looks toward Ms. McIntyre, “Do
you have a charger in your bag?”
Ms.
McIntyre: “I don’t, I’m sorry”
Josh:
“do you think that I could go and download it to my computer and use that today?”
Ms.
Cathy: “If you think you can get onto a network then by
all means go for it. I don’t think we have a network setup here.”
Josh:
“Almost all schools have Wifi these days Ms. Cathy. He rolls his eyes in disgust. I know the password, I have been on
the Wifi multiple times prior.” (Gray)
Ms.
Cathy: “Just do what you need to do and get to work.”
Josh:
“Ms. Cathy goes about her work for 10
minutes before making her rounds to see if we are on task”
Ms.
Cathy: “Sammy?”
Sammy:
“Yes ma’am?” He shuffles in his seat to
hide his tablet from the view of Ms. Cathy
Ms.
Cathy: “Are you doing the assigned task or are you doing
something you shouldn’t be?”
Sammy:
“I finished reading and taking notes.”
Ms.
Cathy: “Then why aren’t your notes saved in Dropbox? I
can see you playing Ruzzle with your Facebook friends Sammy, I’m not completely
oblivious to what you kids are doing.”
Sammy:
“ I..i… im sorry, it’s hard to focus with the notifications popping up on my
screen. I just beat Katie!”
Katie:
“Hey! Don’t bring me into this! I am actually done and have submitted my notes
to Dropbox!” shooting a look of
displeasure and hatred towards Sammy.
Ms.
Cathy: “Yes I know Katie, I know you’re done and on
Facebook too. I can see your little green dot thing in the chat bar on my computer.”
She turns to the class and says “Listen up class! This may be the second week
of school but you all need to realize that you can’t shrug the work off to the
side and abuse the privilege of having access to the internet at school. I know
about 90% of you have a social media account and if I catch any of you on your
accounts you will be receiving a “0” for that assignment.” (McIntyre)
The
class fill with muffled noise and groans from the students.
Ms.
Cathy: “Can someone please explain to me why it is so
imperative to check Facebook and Instagram every couple of minutes? Is what is
on Facebook going to help you succeed in your life or is going to keep you in
the loop of everyone’s drama?”
Josh:
“Well Ms. Cathy, it keeps us connected to everyone and allows us to see what is
going on with people in different places in real time. We are able to be an
interconnected society.”
Ms.
Cathy: “Being connected with each other doesn’t mean
immediate benefits. If Facebook is more important than passing this class, then
by all means stay online. If you don’t graduate how do you expect to be able to
afford a new tablet or anything for that matter?” (Pedro)
Josh:
“…. i…uh….” He looks down into his tablet
and continues reading the material.
Ms.
Cathy: “When I was in school we didn’t have tablets and
we had to actually read books.”
Sammy:
“You gradated in the 80’s, they didn’t even have the internet back then….”
Ms.
Cathy: “ I graduated in 94’ Sammy, and we did have the
internet. We were very fortunate at my school. Only 30% of schools had internet
access as compared to the 99% of schools today. Ms. McIntyre? Ms. McIntyre Looks up from her desk, “Isn’t
your dissertation on a topic like this?” (Lawrence)
Ms.
McIntyre: “It is very similar, yes! For those of you that don’t
know, a dissertation is a very long essay. About 200 pages, the room fills with gasps and small chatter,
and it takes a very long time to complete. I am posing the question on
whether or not teacher’s personal bias affected how they used technology in instruction.
Basically I am looking at 3 specific teachers, Ms. Cathy is not one btw, from
different generations and seeing how they incorporate technology throughout
their lesson.”
Ms.
Cathy: “Did you find any correlation on a teacher’s age and
the technology used? I feel like I’m not that old and I am able to use these
new technologies rather well.”
Ms.
McIntyre: “Well it was I originally thought. The teacher from the
youngest generation used a wide variety of technologies and the students were
engaged in learning more…”
Ms.
Cathy: “See! It keeps you guys more engaged, I just wished
that you would stay engaged in the material and not social media, I will take
away the ebooks and find a normal book if we cannot stay on task. Im sorry Ms.
McIntyre, please continue.”
Ms.
McIntyre: “Hahah, it’s okay Ms. Cathy, but I was able to see
that age and personal bias towards technology really did have an impact on its
use in classes. I did find out that because nearly all of you use the internet
daily and have some form of social media, that incorporating technology is crucial
to achieving success. I noticed that sites like dropbox, wordpress, blogger,
and edmodo are being used more and more because it eases pressures on student
and teacher and it also is kind to the environment.”
Sammy:
“Stupid
tree huggers are the ones to blame for Edmodo!? That site never lets me on and
my assignments are always late! It hates me.”
Ms.
Cathy: “Sammy, everything hates you…. Kidding! But really,
get back to work.”
Josh:
I have a question Ms. Cathy
Ms.
Cathy: “Yes?”
Josh:
“ In the text book the author talks about government programs and how the
government wants to implement new technologies in order to allow for a more
substantial intellectual growth between kindergarten and senior year, but it
doesn’t say what technology or how they are going to help. Do you have any idea
on as to how they are going to implement this new stuff?” (Council of Academic
Advisers)
Ms.
Cathy: “Well… that tablet you are using, we were able to
buy at a reduced coast due to grants from the government. Most technology we
receive is due in part to the government. It is very rare for a school to pay
full retail price for a piece of equipment.”
Josh:
“I thought individual companies were the ones that decided the price of a
product?”
Ms.
Cathy: “Yes the companies do mandate the price but the
government offers tax credits and other incentives for companies to reduce
their costs for education purposes. Additionally the government gives grants to
schools for the purpose of technology. They are all about updating schools and
making sure the students in America have everything they need in order to be
best set up for success. Hold onto that question until our speakers get here.
They should be able to answer that better than I can. “
Josh:
“Ooohhh, I understand now. I guess the government does want to help schools.
When Are they going to get here”
Ms.
Cathy: “In the next few minutes hopefully. There is a knock on the door followed by 4
people entering through the door. Just kidding, they are here now! How many
of you were able to complete today’s assignment?”
8
of the 22 kids in the class raise their hand
Ms.
Cathy: “Do the assignment at home and submit it by
midnight on Edmodo. Those of you that were able to finish within the allotted
time submit it now and you will receive an additional 5 points for staying on
task”
Sammy:
“Ms. Cathy! That’s not fair, you talked to me the whole time and I couldn’t get
my work done!!”
Ms.
Cathy: “If you were staying on task would I have had to talk
to you? No. It is your responsibility to do what is assigned. You are lucky
that I will accept the assignment past class. Now I turn the floor over to our
speaker. Remember what I said earlier! She
does an over dramatic smile and proceeds to her seat. ”
Nina:
“Good
Morning guys! Or is it afternoon yet? I have no idea, we have been here all
day! Haha. Well anyways, we are here today to talk about education and
technology, something I think that you guys know some about. We will start by introducing
ourselves and giving you a little bit of background on each of us and then feel
free to ask us questions! She looks down the line of colleague. I
guess I’ll go first! My name is Nina Thomas
and I work for the National Center for Education Statistics. My job is fairly
simple. I conduct surveys every year about technology and schools and how accessible
technology Is and what could use some improvement. If you have questions on random statistics
about technology in this classroom, I am
the girl to ask! I love numbers and have hundreds of them waiting to be
shared!”
The
students are puzzled and look stunned form the over perkiness of their first
presenter.
Sammy:
To Josh in a mummer
under his breath “Shoooooot me, this is awful and that
woman is crazy”
Katie:
kicks Sammy’s desk to
get him to shut up, “Sorry! I had a foot spasm, I really like
you dress Nina!” She shoots a smile
towards Nina, followed by a glare to Sammy.
Pedro:
“Are
we good now?? No more leg spasms or mummers?” He chuckles, “okay, my name is Francesc Pedro and I wrote the book Connected Minds: Technology and Today’s
Learners, I specialize in Global connection via the Internet and what it
means to be “plugged in”. You all are New Millennium Learners. How many of you
would want to do an interactive lesson via tablet rather than a lecture on the
subject by Ms. Cathy? Every hand shoots up;
including Ms. Cathy’s which cause a slight rift of laughter to cross the
classroom. That’s what I thought. The way of the future is technology and
hands on learning. If you have questions regarding being connected with each
other through technology please ask me!”
Janet:
“Hi,
Ya’ll! My name is Janet Boysen and its good to be back! Charlotte is my home
town and boy am I glad to be back. Anywayssss, I too work for the National
Center for Education Statistics. Just like Nina I am in charge of surveys, from
conception all the way through data analysis. My “specialty” I guess you could
say is in technology from the teacher’s perspective. I can answer the questions
regarding teachers feelings toward technology and shtuff like that.”
Whitney:
“Well
I am the last one to go! My name is Whitney and I work for the Executive office of the
President. Before you ask , yes I know President Obama and no I cannot relay
your messages on social reform to him. Everyone
chuckles and some students murmur. I am an Economic Adviser and my job is
to look at schools and how we can improve them. YOU are the key to this country’s
future. We at the White House are so focused on finding ways to get the
American Education System up to par and even surpass that of nations such as
Finland. We are implementing the common core standards and believe that with
these standards, the country will be on a more even playing field not only with
the rest of the world but also within the country. We won’t have to see certain
states performing better than others because of more strict education
requirements. But that’s enough about
us, we have a few minutes left and can answer a question or two. If we don’t get
to everyone’s question we will be having a discussion board on Edmodo and we highly
encourage you to go on and ask us there.
Katie:
“Hi,
My name is Katie and I was wondering, what technology’s do schools have the
most of and why do some schools have more than others?”
Nina:
“Ill
take this one first. Well there are a few technologies that are widely used
across the country. LCD TV’s are the biggest. 99% of all Classrooms have access
to a TV for instruction. Smart boards are becoming more and more popular among
school districts. With 60% of school districts saying they will have smart
boards in every classroom by the end of 2013; now 90% of schools have smart boards,
just not in every class. I could speak on why some have more than others but I feel
the Whitney could better explain it.”
Whitney:
“This
question always bothers me. It is tough to see some schools suffering. The
schools that have smartboards in every classroom are in districts that have a
more affluent population and parents that have the money to pour into the
education system. Parents obviously aren’t the soul reason for every piece of technology
in a school though. The government gives millions of dollars every year to
school districts for technology enhancements. We also offer grants and educational
programs that not all schools apply for. There are avenues for school districts
to receive funding, the just however, don’t want to out in the work to receive the
benefits”
Katie:
“thank
you! I understand it a lot better now”
Josh:
“Good afternoon and thank you for being
here today, my name is Josh and I was wondering if we have all this technology and
new ways of learning outside of a standard textbook, why do we have to
school? Why can’t we teach ourselves or
have a virtual teacher? Do you think teachers feel like they could lose their
jobs soon because of the advances in technology?”
Pedro:
“Ill
field this one first. I believe that you will always need to be in a classroom and
with a teacher. I am a proponent of using as much technology as possible in instruction.
I feel that being connected will produce a better individual. If you weren’t in school with a teacher you
would lack the interaction of learning. Being able to help a fellow student
reinforces the knowledge within yourself. “
Janet:
“I
will take the second part of the question. Teachers as of right now don’t feel
like they are in jeopardy of losing their jobs to virtual teachers. The virtual
school population is roughly 5% of all children in school. A virtual teacher is
not always there when you need them and can’t be there to do hands on
demonstrations. Now the data does
indicate that one day, subjects that require less instruction and more intrapersonal
skills will lean more and more towards virtual teaching in order to allow for
students to get more hands on teaching while in school.”
Bell
rings
Ms.
Cathy: “Wait! Before you go, what do you say to our
speakers?”
Class:
“Thank
you!”
Speakers:
“You’re
welcome!”
Ms.
Cathy: “Don’t forget about the discussion on Edmodo as well
as the homework assignment. Have a good day class, see you tomorrow!”
Work
Cited
Gray, Lucinda, Nina Thomas,
Laurie Lewis, and Peter Tice. Teachers'
Use of Educational
Technology
in U.s. Public Schools, 2009: First Look. Washington, DC: National
Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Dept. of
Education, 2010. Internet resource.
McIntyre, Beverly
Kesler. "Teachers' Beliefs and
Practices regarding the Role of Technology in
Literacy Instruction: A Mixed
Methods Study." The University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 2011. United States -- North Carolina: ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar.
2013.
Pedró, Francesc. Connected Minds:
Technology and Today’s Learners. OECD Publishing,2012.
Print.
Lanahan, Lawrence, and Janet
Boysen. Computer Technology in
the Public School Classroom:
Teacher
Perspectives. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education
Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2005.
Internet resource.
Unleashing the Potential of
Educational Technology. Washington, D.C.: Executive Office of the
President, Council of Economic Advisers, 2011.
Internet resource.
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