Journal #2

The article, 'The laptops are coming! The laptops are coming!', really allowed me to understand aspects of technology that I had not previously associated with it. This article was Mcfarlane's insight into an epidemic that is sweeping over our educational standards. Though there are so many positive outlooks into what this technology could do for our future and the success it could bring, as with anything else there are definitely negative side affects. An educator's dream could turn into social disaster. Many problems are solved but new ones arise. Many reservations arise for both the teacher and student. These are things that can, overtime, be worked through. One of the major issues that Mcfarlane discusses is this idea of distraction the technology brings. There were times when she had no way to tell whether or not her students were paying attention to her lesson or browsing for their own personal entertainment. She found the laptops to be a distraction if anything. She also found that the classroom turned into more of a 'police' station in a sense that she had to constantly monitor the students and their behavior with the laptops to make sure they were on track. It was found that ELL students had a hard time adapting to this technology and would prefer to rid of the idea. There are ways to use technology to further our educational experience but we must understand that a boundary must be drawn in order for this idea to be of success.

Questions ...

1. Who has access to this technology?
Answer: I believe that there are many students who are of lower class and do not have access to this sort of technology. It is most definitely the middle class and up who can acquire the skills necessary. Even if laptops were brought into a classroom setting for every student, there would be this large gap between students who are well equipped with the skills needed and those who have not been given the opportunity to work with these tools.

2. Who profits from this enterprise?
Answer: There could be many different interpretations to this question. Many people would say that the software companies themselves are benefiting most. My opinion is that, in some way shape or form, every student could definitely further their educational success through the use of technology. The process into achieving equal skill level may be much different and vary over time according to each student's individual needs. Though some lower class students may not have had access to computers prior, incorporating that into the classroom can really open their eyes to a new educational resource.


Citation ...

Mcfarlane, S (2008). The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!. Rethinking Schools, 1, Retrieved July 17, 2008, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml