Question of the Week Archives

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Maria - Albany, NY
No brainer...choice #2 :) Technology tools involve the students on a level that just printed material can't. But printed resources are still needed. Word processing tools take pressure off students who stuggle with legiblity and neatness. Students who don't like to have the spotlight can be less pressure and more ceative when creating a pre-recorded project or prefers to be "behind the camera". A shy or loner may shine when on a team when he is able to to the technical portion of a project - not the out front star. The interactive white board is a also a huge "prop" that students are eager to use - I tell their teachers not to be afraid of the whiteboeard - you'll never even get near it with some classes. Just direct them toward a site or lesson , sit back and they will do all the rest of the "work"! The internet is wonderful as a "history in the making" when seeing the news change within minutes of an event.

Paul Hitchcock - Leicester, Leicestershire
For all the wonders of the Internet, and I would miss them dearly, I would prefer a classroom with a multitude of print resources and that most magical of ingredients - a child's imagination.

Teri Beagley - Tacoma, WA
I would definitely choose a class with technology. I can beg, borrow, buy the other materials but you cannot come up with computers and smart boards on your own. I have no computers in my classroom for my students.

MD
I would take the computers, Internet access and Interactive whiteboard providing that every student in the class was supplied. Most books, magazines, maps etc. can be access as resources with Internet access. Children could move a their own pace either individually or in small groups. How exciting!

Diane Darling - Kissimmee, Fl
If the computers were up to date and the internet access was high speed and all the students could use the internet, this is definitely the way to go. The internet changes and is constantly improving. There is lots of accurate information and lots of movies and books online to use with students. There is an unlimited amount or resources to teach every student at his/her own level and with the information coming in a variety of forms. Students have a choice between online books, videos, or pod casts. The problem in many schools is that the equipment is not keeping up with the constant changes in the technology world. Unfortunately technology costs money and schools keep getting cut. Most schools do not have state of the art computers or even enough for all students to have daily meaningful access. What I mean by meaningful access is for students to actually have time to do research and learn how to use search engines properly to find appropriate information. Many schools have students doing things like taking AR tests, speed drills on Math facts, or low level drill and practice. There is nothing wrong with these activities, but there is more to learning with technology than that. It is unfortunate that technology is not funded better in our schools.

Sue Ottesen - Bossier City, 71111, LA
I would choose to have the computer, Internet, and whoteboard. I teach at-risk over-age eighth graders. They will not/cannot read traditional print materials with comprehension. They do, however, respond to technology of of kinds! There is not even a need to question this for me!!!

Libby - Friendswood, TX
I'd pick the techy room. You can always print out what you need. And children need to have as much exposure to technology as possible in order to be a productive member of society these days. Textbooks are so dated, magazines are online, maps are online. I would like all the students to have response tools for the Interactive whiteboard too because too many children are "waiting and wondering if they'll ever get a turn" instead of interacting.

Fran - Old Lyme, CT
My students would go for the internet alone, if they had to choose, but then there would be no fiction (the only fiction you can get free on the internet is pretty much dead white guys, and not what they like to read).

I work in a school where the library materials are only valuable for older students, not my middle school students, so they HAVE to only use the internet (or ask a parent to take them to a public library). It ain't enough. And there is so much cr*p on the internet that I have to teach them to wade through. Not that there isn't in books and magazines... but the traditional publishing process eliminates some of that.

In addition, reading on the internet by middle school students tends to be more skating. They don't connect to the text in the way they do with books. As a teacher of reading, I know that they need to read a lot to get better at it.

Finally, all my students have internet access at home, but they don't all have books. I need to make up the deficit. Using the internet and technology in the classroom makes it easier to teach, no question. But it doesn't replace more traditional materials.

If I were a social studies or science teacher or math teacher, instead of an English/Language Arts/Reading teacher, I would answer differently.

history teacher - beaumont, tx
computers/internet/whiteboard

students could access the website for the text (or for a better one, with a site license). information is broader and more easily accessible, updates or corrections are more timely, and students'response to technology is generally better than to print materials.

SD
I would definitely choose option 2 -- a classroom with no print materials but with computers and Internet for every student and an interactive whiteboard. I would, however, require that there be an interactive whiteboard. Through the use of an interactive board, I can create flipcharts to use that are interactive and provide visual and hands-on learning for students. I can present any material I need in this manner without print resources. Students can pull up the flipcharts on computers and use them to replace printed materials. Students can create flipcharts that incorporate sounds, videos, etc.

AnneMarie Marron - Cape Coral, FL
I would chose classroom #1 because as an elementary teacher I feel all teaching resourses should be as authentic as possible. Literature may lose out in classroom #2 because the personal bond between the student and the reader will be lost. We remember who read stories to us and how exciting it was.

Diallo Sessoms - Salisbujry, MD
I choose option 2. As the Internet continues to grow and new resources become available, it is likely that anything in print can be found on the Internet or something comparable. An Internet connection and an interactive board provide a window onto the world that could not be achieved with printed resources only. These resources can be accessed to create a dynamic, interactive teaching environment. For example, a Geography teacher can use Google Maps in a more interactive way than a textbook can be used. Textbooks are not easily updated and are expensive. Web based, interactive resources, also called Web 2.0 tools, gives new meaning to the phrase "learn, unlearn, relearn". Printed materials cannot move at the "speed of creativity"[Borrowed this term from Wesley Fryer]. A web-based classroom can be easily updated, access more diverse materials, and an interactive board can enhance content interaction for students when interactive materials are used (ex. eNLVM). For students who need print material, items can be printed or downloaded to mobile devices. I am not against using books or other printed material; however, developing 21st century skills requires 21st century tools.

Donna K. Hill - Amarillo, TX
I would choose #2 "a classroom with no print materials but with computers and Internet for every student and an Interactive whiteboard." The reason I would make this choice is due to the fact that many print materials are out-of-date by the time they're delivered to my door. I can get up-to-the minute information on the Internet, plus I can get reference materials from those same companies that produce print materials from their web sites or through their software CDs. By giving all of my students a computer with Internet access, I can go well beyond what the print materials may have and keep my students actively involved in a way that fits today's students learning styles.

Marlene Kamin - Studio City, CA
I would love to have no, or very little print materials in my classroom and replace them all with computers for every student.

Linda Decker - Pittsburg, KS
I would choose the internet, computers and interactive whiteboard as this is the media that our students are growing up with. Feel that we need to prepare them for the work world. Books are important, but they can be read on the internet, too!

Valerie - Ponitac, Mi
I would choose number 2 because with that you can get all the print resources that are available at your fingertips.

Judy DeBurger - Claremore, OK
#2 A computer and Internet for every student /Interactive whiteboard. Reason, today's students are wired for technology...plus the Internet provides almost instant access to information and instruction helps.

Croisdaidh - North Central, WI
I would choose number 1., a classroom with print resources. While I believe the internet/computer is a necessary and useful tool, nearly every home has this nowadays, and if not, the public library does. However, I see too few families with hands-on literature in the home, whether it is books, magazines, reference materials, etc. Also, because I, personally, prefer to read something in-hand rather than on a computer screen, that would be my preference for my students as well. Of course, ideally we would enjoy the use of both!

Laura - Port Jervis, NY
Option #1- I rather have all the hardcopies in my classrooom:Books, print out material, magazines, etc than just computers..What will we do if the lights go out????

Christiane Brossi - San Francisco, CA
I would choose neither because I believe in balance and a combination of both would bring all the necessary requisites for success in school.

john - hickory, nc
computers,internet , white boards Students are technology magnets. Many times when they come to school they have to turn technology down a notch and this causes boredom. You lead or get out of the way, so we must take it to the next level or be left behind.

robert potter - northport , ny
Does anyone remember life before on line banking ,Tex massages, Cell phones, leapfrog the type writer? The answer will always be technology. For teachers, teaching in the twenty first century. Technology is the most essential learning tool we can offer to all children .Unfortunately, many if not, most schools are not keyed into learning in the twenty first century. Information is power and technology gives all educators and students the ability to axis the information super highway.

Pat - Winder, GA
2. Computers and internet allow us to learn whatever we need/want. It gives the ability to get the latest and most up-to-date info, and takes up less space. It would way less than p[roviding every book, etc. that a student would need.

Sharon Elin - Mechanicsville, VA
The ideal classroom, of course, would include both! I would not want to give one up for the other -- but if I HAD to, I would choose to keep the computers, because they encourage student engagement and are more relevant in their world, and because computers offer such a powerful wealth of resources. Our students' world centers around computers but often their classrooms seem stuck in the 19th century, devoid of technology. Computers fit into an inquiry-based learning model, engaging students in active, constructive investigation of topics, rather than the passive delivery of teacher-centered facts -- in other words, computers allow students to explore a variety of perspectives on any topic, not relying on the single-minded interpretation from a teacher or the limited view from a few books. As a resource, the internet offers a respository of information that includes but is not limited to almost all material in print. Its scope and breadth is virtually limitless. Above all, though, if there were computers rather than books, it would be crucial to also have a teacher who is trained in the pedagogy of instructional technology, skilled in the use of technology for student learning. A tool is only as good as its handler!

Leona - Hyattsville, MD
Technology of course! We must prepare our students for the 21st Century. Also we would be able to practice "Being Green" and saving the environment...trees!

Iowa
I would choose the classroom with the print resources.

C. T. H. - Washington, DC
If I had to choose between a classroom with print resources and no computers or Internet versus one with no print resources but with computers and Internet I would choose the second option. Print resources become obsolete very quickly. Maps change, new events are constantly happening. There is no way to update the print material you already have. Whereas on the Internet there are credible sources providing information that is constantly updated.