subject: E-Readers in the Classroom [print this page] E-Readers in the Classroom E-Readers in the Classroom
Technology is playing a larger role in the classroom than ever before. Acalanes Unified School District in Lafayette, Ca. is just one school district where technology has greatly changed the way that students learn. The district's four high schools own rolling carts full of laptops and mobile devices like the iPad or the Kindle, which are transported from one classroom to another. The devices were purchased through grants from a local city measure and parent-run organizations. The district's ultimate goal for the use of technology in the classroom is to provide every student with access to the resources that the Internet has to offer.
Cheryl Davis, District Curriculum & Institution Technology Specialist, said that although the district is not yet to the point where it can provide each student with his or her own personal laptop or mobile device, the long-term goal is "to increase student access; to have the one-to-one ratio."
Due to high popularity, teachers must often reserve computer labs far in advance for their classes. Laptops and iPads can serve as a supplement to computer labs and bring access right to students, rather than moving the actual student to the lab.
One pressing factor regarding education technology is the necessity of teacher training. As devices like iPads and iPod Touches are introduced into the classroom, Acalanes Unified holds development sessions for instructors. Teachers learn how to use the mobile devices and how to maximize their potential use in the classroom. The district is also addressing the teacher's role in a technology integrated classroom.
Constant developments and advances in technology create a problem for school districts with limited budgets. Davis said purchasing technology that would at least be useful for several years was not a problem in the past, but the "lightning speed changes in technology" over the past few years have made this impossible. Administrators must be cautious when selecting what kind of technology to buy and consider its future use in addition to the immediate impact it could have among students.
