Technology in the Classrom!

As of Monday, October 26^th netbooks have been introduced to our classroom. The long awaited arrival of the computers has definitely been rewarded. They have provided the class with an interesting period to become adjusted to the operations of the comparatively minuscule laptops. The expectation to maneuver towards a mostly paperless system is rather challenging, but the netbooks will make the transition easier. The plethora of technology administered to our classroom will be beneficial in several ways; however, too much of a good thing may provide for some disadvantages.

The netbooks have provided the classroom with an efficient way to produce and submit writings such as; weekly and poetry responses. The class is able to submit responses via Blogger.com, which saves us from scrambling to print our works and the paperless submissions are more “eco friendly” than the reverse. The classroom website is very convenient for keeping track of assignments and classroom announcements. Not only do we have a membership with Blogger, but also with Gmail which provides us with many helpful tools including a calendar to keep track of due dates and events. The online connection with our peers and Mr. Primrose bestows the class with an efficient way of communication which is a key component of success.

Although, many great things have been presented by the netbooks several disadvantages may appear as well. As of yet, the most concerning issue (for Mr. Primrose) is the unlimited accessibility of the internet. Due to the ineffective proxy settings on the internet, accessibility to websites such as, Facebook, allows for student “play time.” This issue is certainly more of a concern for teachers than students. Another disadvantage to the presence of more advanced technology in the learning environment is the dependability that may come with it. Using the netbooks continuously may make paper work more strenuous.

The netbooks have allowed the class to make a large leap towards a paperless classroom environment and have provided many useful tools for organization and communication.