5720 Blog Post 2

The article I read, titled "Are Tablets Ready for K-12 Education," by Amber Rippa was very interesting to me. I love technology and use it daily in my own 6th grade classroom. Recently, many schools in the Lubbock Independent School District, mine included, were the recipients of a whole technology set-up, which included an interactive Smart Board, document camera, speaker system, desktop computer, and mounted projector. This set-up enabled teachers who previously did not have the aforementioned devices in their classrooms to use technology on a regular basis. As for me, I did things the old-fashioned way, earning three of the items above during my first and second years of teaching. The new system, however, has definitely benefitted my classroom, students, and school. One thing my principal, Karen Bayer, was looking into is the purchase of tablet devices for teachers. We do not know if this will be a possiblility now or in the near future, but it is something she feels would further benefit our instruction. I never thought about using I-Pads, I-Pod Touch, or Kindles in my classroom to enhance student engagement. The premise of Rippa's article is essentially that--how tablet devices, such as the ones I mentioned, can benefit student learning. They already are!

Rippa begins by discussing how several schools are already benefitting from the use of tablets in their classrooms. It is a big investment. She states that the "Pinellas school district has spent around $1 million to buy 1,800 of them [I-Pads] for its students" (Rippa, 2011). As a result of their cost, though, students appear to be more engaged and excited about learning. Rippa continues by pointing out some of the dissatisfactions schools have with the apps and performance of the I-Pads, but that it is basically worth the trouble to enhance student learning (Rippa, 2011). To further summarize the school's experiences with technology, they believe the Kindle is inferior for their needs. Whereas it is not the opinion of all of the schools mentioned, it definitely shows favoritism toward the I-Pad. The third section of the article, subtitled "Software and Apps Schools Use," enlightens the reader to the specific tools the mentioned schools are using. Such tools include: Web 2.0, Google Earth, Diigo, Blogger, and YouTube (Rippa, 2011). Several of the schools are finding that the free websites and apps are better or equivalent tools to the ones they previously were purchasing (Rippa, 2011). Some of these schools are of the belief that tablet devices simplify things for both student and instructor.

Using tablets in the library would definitely benefit students and teachers. At Mackenzie this spring, we hosted what was called Raider Reading Night, where a group of students held a mock trial about written books versus electronic ones. The students that participated were extremely knowledgeable about tablets. At the same event, we had an employee of Barnes and Noble talk to the students about the Nook. Most of the students present already knew about these devices. Several of them use tablets on a regular basis. What I would love to see in libraries would be stations that have I-Pods, Kindles, I-Pads, and other similar devices available for students to use while in the library. So much more than computers is available now! Housing tablets and even allowing them to be checked out, as I know our school district probably is not anticipating providing every student with tablets, would enhance instruction in so many ways. If we housed them in the library, teachers could use them to present information to the students, have them watch/listen to a Podcast, or allow the students to create projects that incorporate music, videos, etc. Students might have a greater desire to read books if they can come to library and read them electronically. Teachers could even make it a reward for students who finish all of their class work.

In summation, I believe that tablets would benefit learning in K-12 education. I believe Rippa agrees with that statement. Technology does evolve and develop daily, making it difficult to keep up with the enhancements. It is an expense that we would have to weigh agaist the benefits. I do not know if providing every student in the district with a tablet is even necessary. I do think, however, that having some available for teacher and student use in the library is a great idea.


Rippa, A. (2011, March 20). Are tablets ready for k-12 education. Tablet PC review, Retrieved from http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2074&news=tablets apple ipad school education

5720 Blog Post 1

After reading LaMont's article, I have determined that a lot of truth exists in the article. What she writes in her article, "Gender, Technology, and Libraries," is essentially that in the Information Technology (IT) field, women are largely underrepresented. The reasons given include occupational segregation, the duties of females to their households, and an underestimation of technological skills held by women, meaning they underestimate themselves. I must say that the statistics reveal truth in all areas, but they do not flatter the female population. When research proves that men statistically make more money than women holding the same or similar jobs, I see an element of discrimation at hand. Whereas I fully believe women are as capable as men at most jobs, I have often thought women are underrepresented largely by their own fault. LaMont says that women do not place themselves in the same league as their male counterparts, indicating that some of the doors that women see as closed to them are only closed because they failed to open them.

Personally, I feel that I am very strong in the area of technology. I was raised in the decade when Internet first took flight. I grew up with MSDOS computer games and writing in Wordpad. Since, I have seen technology evolve into things I never thought possible. The things we can do now that we were not able to do before are continually amazing. As a teacher, I have been trained to use wide array of technology in my classroom. I learned to use these tools early on in my career, as I felt they were necessary to facilitate the curriculum in a way that would maintain engagement. I use a Smart Board, projector, desktop computer, and document camera almost daily in my classroom. I also do my best to help others on my campus use their technology to create and carry out assignments. Because I feel that technology is the gateway to engagement in the classroom, I do my best to be a leader on my campus when it comes to technology.

I realize that I still have a lot to learn, however. Keeping up with an ever-changing array is always going to be a challenge. In order to stay abreast of the technological advancements, I will need to research and keep an open mind. I think one of the biggest issues is supply. If I see a tool that can enhance engagement in the classroom, I may or may not get to use it. I should, however, discuss the tool with the administrators on campus to see if attainment is a possibility. The other factor is always time. If supply is not an issue, I will have to find the time to learn how to use and implement new tools. But, I do feel that research can lead to mastery.

I think I would most like to learn how to use technology in small groups or stations. At Mackenzie, we've done some experimenting with small group instruction and attempt to include technology as one of our stations. I would mostly like to know more about using programs like PREZI and PHOTOSTORY to enhance technology stations. A wealth of cool programs lies at our fingertips; I just need to know where to find it.