Technology on Campus

From eBooks to web cams, technology on campus continues to grow. Learn how the latest technology impacts your child’s education. Get tips on the best ways to integrate technology into education and stay abreast of the latest developments and challenges facing schools.

View the most popular articles in Technology on Campus:

How Your Child Can Benefit from New Public School Laptop Programs

Updated
|
How Your Child Can Benefit from New Public School Laptop Programs
Learn about new laptop programs being instituted in public schools around the country, as well as how your child's education can benefit from the increased access to technology.

Today's children must be prepared for tomorrow's demands. Considering technology's paramount role in nearly every career and industry, developing technological fluency is important for every child.

Understanding the relationship between technology and education, public schools have begun to incorporate innovative laptop programs to help improve student learning and performance. According to ERIC Digest, laptop programs have been part of organized education practices since 1988; however, these laptop opportunities have only recently gained national popularity in the past few years.

By incorporating laptops into public school classrooms, teachers can enhance the curriculum, providing students extensive research opportunities, access to up-to-date information, and many other learning benefits.

The Learning Benefits of Laptop Programs

As ERIC Digest further reveals, several leading computer companies have actively engaged in research to evaluate the benefits of laptops in public schools. In examining the perks, researchers and instructors report educational advantages, such as:

  • Textbooks are expensive and often outdated, but students can engage in up-to-date research through the internet with laptops.
  • Students can reinforce their lessons through their laptop's technological tools, including study games, class-specific discussion blogs, and other digital resources.
  • Students can edit and correct their writing with greater ease, as the laptops provide students with instant dictionaries, spell-checking tools, and thesaurus resources.
  • Students can become versed in technological tools, which will help provide students with greater preparation for their technology-based careers in the future.
  • Students from different financial backgrounds can have
. . .read more

Should Public Schools Ban Cell Phones?

Updated
|
Should Public Schools Ban Cell Phones?
Listen to both sides of the debate to decide if cell phones should be allowed or banned in public schools.

As students in public school today are exposed to endless technological advances, the use of cell phones seems to be an often ignored modern-day issue. While cell phones certainly offer students increased communication abilities, providing students with a tool for added safety and parent contact, many public school leaders assert that cell phones are a severe distraction in the educational process. Whether students are talking in the halls, on the phone in the restroom facilities, or texting during class, phones are proving to be a significant distraction in many students’ educational process.

To counteract the negative implications, many public schools have even issued a ban on the use of cell phones while on campus. Upon the onset of these drastic measures, a fairly glaring debate has arisen between school leaders and many community members.

The Ringing Debate

As school leaders are striving to improve student performance and the overall student learning experience, schools across the country are enforcing strict policies regarding cell phones. Specifically, the entire city of New York issued a general ban against cell phones in their city’s public schools.

According to eSchool News, a group of parents was so outraged by this ban that they have taken legal action against leaders, and they are suing the city for violating student rights to possess cell phones: “The eight parents' lead lawyer, Norman Siegel, said the lawsuit was filed against the city's Department of Education, schools Chancellor Joel Klein, and Mayor Michael

. . .read more

Recent Articles

Opinion: Handcuffing in Public Schools is a Gateway to More Violence
Opinion: Handcuffing in Public Schools is a Gateway to More Violence
Some districts are banning handcuffing, while others are cuffing kindergarteners simply throwing a temper tantrum. Read this editorial to see why this author believes slapping the cuffs on children’s wrists only leads to more behavior issues and violence in their adult lives.
Whooping Cough: Should Vaccinations be Required for Public School Enrollment?
Whooping Cough: Should Vaccinations be Required for Public School Enrollment?
Whopping cough is making a comeback, especially amongst children, prompting health officials to encourage pertussis vaccines and boosters. However, should the pertussis vaccine be required for public school enrollment? Learn about current proposed laws and its ramifications.
What are Common Core Standards and Why Do We Need Them?
What are Common Core Standards and Why Do We Need Them?
With schools nationwide adopting common core standards, we’ll take a look at what they are, their benefits, and how they will change the face of public education.