Technology: Aid or Copout?
I love technology and the fact that it makes my life easier, and I love integrating technology into my classroom.
I preface this blog in this way so that you don’t think my next complaint is born out of a hatred for or frustration with technology in general. What is that complaint, you might ask? Simply this: Every year we provide our students with assignment books which are part of their school fees. Each student is expected to write their assignments down daily in this book copying it from their teacher’s assignment board. The expectation is that students will take these books home each night along with the materials they need to complete those activities, and bring everything back the next day. Clearly, the goal here is to teach and encourage responsibility; the same responsibility that will enable them throughout their life to complete necessary tasks on time and on their own. Sounds reasonable, as certainly, this is a life skill we all must master, right?
Suddenly, our principal announced at our opening meeting that he would like us all to have a web page on which we post our students’ homework daily. Now, bear with me as I think out loud here, but if the students already have assignment books provided by their school, and they are being told that they need to copy their assignments and use this assignment book to be responsible and get their work in on time, and then we tell them that if they forget their assignment book or don’t write their work down as they were instructed to do, it’s okay; all they need to do is get on their teacher’s web page and the homework will be right there, how are we teaching and encouraging responsibility? The only responsible party then becomes the teacher who not only needs to write the assignments on the assignment board, but must also post it daily on a web site, which may include updating it during the day again if the homework was adjusted for whatever reason. My responsibilities have now increased as my students’ responsibilities have decreased! And students will learn that they don’t really have to listen to their teacher and write their assignments because they can always use the website later.
Why have we been asked to do this? Because some parents want to be able to see for themselves what their child has for homework either because their child is not copying their homework at all or they are lying about what their homework is. Wouldn’t it be wiser to deal with these issues directly? Shouldn’t there be communication with the teacher to change the negative behavior in order to achieve responsible behavior in the future?
I am all for technology, but this is one time when I feel very strongly that it is a copout, and I will not design a web page (at least until I am told that I must) because I feel that the life lessons that will be missed in the process are far too valuable.
I understand where you are coming from with this issue; however, doesn’t this same identical thing happen when we take classes in college, and in a master’s program - yes! So aren’t we to prepare students that double checking what is required is also responsibility? I also believe that having a website is a great tool for clear, positive communication with parents and students. This website will in turn give you documentation that the students do not have excuse when it comes to their responsibilities. Over the last 10 years, this hasn’t changed, it is just now filtering down to the grade level schools. It’s a great tool, embrace it!
I appreciate your comment, Julie, and I understand your point that it removes all excuses for students who use it. However, the number of students and parents historically that even visit the established teachers’ websites is alarmingly small. And these are probably the parents and childen who are already conscientious just checking to make sure that they have completed all of their homework. Since the teachers who have websites continue to battle with late work, I’m not sure this is really an effective tool for our parents who already do not check their child’s assignment books or establish firm guidelines for the regular completion of homework or for those students who are chronically late with homework.
@Julie