EDUCATION
With Laptops, MS Students Become Immersed in Technology
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one are the days when Middle School students could claim that the dog ate their homework. Today students turn in their work electronically and the
teacher can see the exact minute that it was submitted. From assignment of a project to final completion, technology streamlines the process so students can focus their attention on critical thinking. They are learning to use the tools they will need in high school, college, and beyond. Every student in the Middle School is loaned a laptop at
the beginning of the year as part of the OES one-to-one program. The program immerses students in a “culture of use,” which includes knowing multiple ways to find information, connect with others, and present results. And importantly, it includes awareness of Internet etiquette, care of hardware, and online safety. Teachers can augment their lessons with videos and
podcasts that present ideas in engaging ways. A science teacher may give students a link to a video he has made of a lab demonstration. Students can review the demo when they are studying, and a student who has missed class can use the video to learn the material. A Spanish teacher makes podcasts of her own reading of the dialogue for a lesson, or she can make a video of herself and another teacher reading the dialogue—student interest is piqued when they know the performers. Students use Google Docs, which stores their work on a
server so they can access it from anywhere. It also eliminates problems of multiple versions or transferring work among computers. With Google Docs, students can collaborate in real time. For example, if two students are working on a project together, they can both see the document at the same time and can instantly see the changes or comments they are both making. When it’s time to turn it in, they just “share” it with their teacher.
Teachers like receiving student papers electronically
because it makes it easy to track student work and they don’t have to carry briefcases full of papers back and forth from home. They also don’t have to decipher student handwriting, and they can type their comments, using as much space as they need instead of scribbling in the margins. Of course, having a laptop connected to the Internet
provides opportunities for mischief as well as for efficiency. Julie Robison (above, right), the Middle School technology coordinator, coaches students on safety and etiquette. “We talk about posting videos and pictures of each other.
We talk about your identity online, like not posting your picture with your first and last name or other identifying details. There’s an acknowledgment that almost everybody is on Facebook. I tell them that anything you write is always there and people can find it. It’s out there forever.” Those are lessons that students need to learn, and they
learn them by using a computer, by having an adult to talk with about how they use it, and by learning from their mistakes. All are great preparation for life as an adult.
WWW.OES.EDU
WINTER 2013 OES MAGAZINE
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