School Technology Review

Now that I have been in Atlantic City High School for two weeks, I have become aware of all of their technology.  There is really no updated technology like we are learning about in this class.  There are no smartboards, clickers, iPads, etc.  This school runs on the old school style of teaching:  projectors, blackboards, and whiteboards.  The school report card actually gave me no stats on amount of technology in the school or a ratio of computers to students.  This would have been very helpful in writing this report, but since I've been there, and I have pretty much seen that the only computers are in computer labs (minus if the classroom has any computers, which my teacher's does).  It is sort of upsetting that there is no real technology because I feel it inhibits some of the possibilities that can be used in a social studies classroom.

My cooperating teacher agrees with me that there are so many things he (and I) could do, but there is not enough technology in the school to be able to.  We were discussing how he feels like he's not sure if his students are understanding the content, and he wishes he had the use of clickers that he had when he was in Pleasantville.  He said he at least then knew in real time if the students were comprehending the content and was able to change his plans based on those results.  Now he finds that the students aren't understanding when he's getting their tests and quizzes back and by that point it's too late.  I also think there should be more technology for the students.  Maybe rolling computer carts with laptops because then I could implement some of the fun online history activities I have found since participating in this class and the conferences.  Simply having two computers that students can use and my teacher's laptop does not help.  For example, they were using a National Geographic interactive game/lesson on John Smith and only one student could play the interactive games at a time because my teacher's laptop was the one that was hooked up to the projector.  The students were fighting over the chance to play the game on the one computer.

Overall, I think the school is seriously lacking in technology.  Especially in a district that is building brand new schools (or renovating existing ones) that are full of current technology and they don't put any in their high school.  I don't know if it's because they feel the technology will not be use properly, that it could be harmed, or that the teachers will not have a use for it, but I think they should seriously reconsider it.  I can think of a million ways the technology would benefit the classroom in.  I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with the fact that the school is so strict on the use of electronic devices.  I wonder if they believe that if they let the students use these types of devices, they will think they can use their own personal devices.  Whatever the reason is, I think they should reconsider it, especially as the younger students using this technology move up to the high school because they will be lacking something that has helped them learn since they were young.

Classroom diagram:

Pictures of the classroom and technology: