Volume 1
Issue 1
16 March 1998
Gender
Inequalities in Education
The
Gender Gap in the Computing Field
Apple
Classrooms of Tomorrow
Whitmore
High School: A Case Study of Computer Usage
Computer
Projects for Mother and Daughter
Expanding
Your Horizons in Math and Science
Computers
and Technology: Differences In Gender
Gender
Bias In Educational Software
Educational
Software For Girls
- Purple Moon: Thanks but No Thanks for Rockett's New School
- Girl Tech - Not Girl Friendly Enough
- Her Interactive
- Broderbund - Classroom Software Done Right
Computers
In the Classroom: What is the Effect on the Gender
Gap?
"The facts about the increasing use of information technologies in public schools are stunning. In the last decade alone, the number of students per computer went from 125 to less than 10. In some technology rich schools, there is one computer for every three students." (Teaching With Technology, xi)Computers are quickly inundating our schools. Everyone from the White House to state governors to individual parents are encouraging schools to bring computers into the classroom. But few are stopping to take a look at the impact computers will have on the classroom.
Apple, however, is doing just that. Through its on-going project Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), Apple is investigating the role computers will play in K-12 education. The program chose five schools across the United States spanning grades K-12 and donated enough computers for at least one class to provide each student with a computer in the classroom and at home. The teachers participating in the program also received computers for classroom and home use. The program's only stipulation was to let Apple observe the effect the technology had on the classroom. There were no teaching or curriculum requirements. Teachers chose how and when they wanted to incorporate the computers into their daily schedules. A number of interesting results have been pouring out of this study since it began.
In the beginning stages of the program, teachers were frustrated and described their experiences as similar to their first year of teaching. Experienced teachers felt like they had to start from square one. Very few were quick to change their teaching styles in order to accommodate the new technology. They had many fears in regard to time constraints, student interaction and student interest.
But as time went on teachers began to question their long standing beliefs about teaching and their role in the classroom slowly began to change. As teachers realized that student interest in the technology was high and that it encouraged more student interaction then simply lecturing and traditional drill and practice routines, teachers began to work computers more and more into the daily routine. The role of the teacher began to change from that of a lecturer to that of a mentor or guide. Classrooms became more student-centric and less teacher-centric. Teachers began teaming up and collaborating on new ways to incorporate technology into the existing curriculum and often designed new curriculums with the technology in mind.
But ACOT did not just produce positive results. The study raises a number of ethical questions that must be addressed. Many disparities were revealed between children of differing socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Students who had parents who were knowledgable about computers were leaps and bounds ahead of those who didn't. ACOT gave students computers to use in the home, but in any other scenario, many children would only have access to computers while they were in school. These students were severely disadvantaged compared to those who had access to technology at home.
Other discrepancies arose in student interactions in the classroom. Some students were more controlling and dominating then others. Shy students, minorities and those who didn't have computer experience were often pushed aside by others who were more confident about their computer skills. Inequities prevailed throughout the program.
Although computers can have a significant posititve impact on a classroom setting, it is important to not overlook the drawbacks. A number of ethical issues remain to be addressed both within ACOT and other applications of technology in the classroom.
