In one classroom, sixth-grade students are opening their Macbooks. They are clicking onto Youtube for their experimental science lesson on sound and pitch. One student is making a drum by hand. She will record herself playing it to show the range of sound and pitch. She will then write her findings on Twitter and tweet it to her class. Their classroom has tablets and WiFi.
This is Flint Hill School in Oakton, USA. At this tech-forward school, the teachers give students an immersive experience with technology. They believe it will make their students more excited about learning. They think they will be better prepared for careers in this digital age. Each student at Flint Hill School has their own device. Preschoolers get an iPad, and students in grades 5 and up each get a MacBook Air.
Not far away, there is another sixth-grade classroom. They are also learning about sound and pitch for science. However, in this classroom, there are no computers. For their science lesson, they use spoons and forks tied together with a yarn. The students listen to how the noise of utensils changes its pitch when the yarn is shortened or lengthened. The students will write their findings in their writing book.
This is the Washington Waldorf School (WWS). The teachers think technology is overhyped. They fear that it threatens original thinking. They believe real-world experiences in places such as their garden are better. So, they banned cell phones, laptops and tablets. All of their students hand-write their papers until high school.
WWS is not alone. Many schools around the world have decided to unplug the computers. They take a hiatus from technology while in the classroom. In fact, one school in Silicon Valley, the home of huge tech businesses, is fully analog. Children of people who owe their careers to tech do not want their children using it in the classroom.
So, is tech shaping student learning, or is it distracting? Bringing the Internet into the classroom seems to have many benefits. There are millions of resources online from which students can learn. Since students do not learn in the same way, they can personalise their learning experience. Videos, blogs, and podcasts can all help students learn in a way that works for them. It is clear that educational tech is big business. Forward, a company who offers coding bootcamps for students, received $500,000 in funding as it plans to expand.
On the other hand, experts say children have shorter attention spans now. This is making it harder for children to focus. Basic skills such as handwriting and spelling are becoming a problem. Students need the computer to spell-check for them. Studies have found that students who used math and reading software after one year scored the same on tests as peers who did not use the program.
Whether we use tech in the classroom or not, it might be a good idea to take a break now and then. Many of us are connected 24/7 to the Internet. Some people have decided to take a tech-free day once a week. You could use it to play board games, read, or write to people. Just one day could help keep your brain focused. Could you do one day a week without technology?
Note - Twitter was rebranded to X on July 23rd 2023.