You would think that being born into the current technological era, this generation would know more about using computers than those of us who still remember the sound of a dial-up internet tone and the frustration of trying to reach people before the advent of cell phones. When it comes to social media and coding and all the fun parts of technology, my students probably are light-years ahead of me.
When it comes to educational or work purposes, however, they have a lot to learn. They are too used to doing everything on their cellphones. They type essays the same way they types text messages - with two fingers and with text language (abbreviations, lack of capital letters, lack of punctuation, etc.).
To address this, I need to get them on computers and laptops on a more regular basis. Our school has a limited number of Chromebook carts and computer labs that teachers can battle it out to reserve. And, unfortunately, due to large class sizes, even when a teacher manages to secure this technology there is often more students than laptops.
By obtaining a few extra Chromebooks to live in my classroom, I never have to worry about one or two students having to watch everyone else on laptops while they are using cellphones or paper. Also, on days when the technology is already booked, I can use these few Chromebooks to have students work in collaborative groups on digital projects or researching historical context related to the books we're reading. I would also be able to help students after school on their essays and projects.
With your help, I will have valuable tools at my disposal to help my students succeed in my class and to prepare them for college and work in an increasingly technological age.
About my class
You would think that being born into the current technological era, this generation would know more about using computers than those of us who still remember the sound of a dial-up internet tone and the frustration of trying to reach people before the advent of cell phones. When it comes to social media and coding and all the fun parts of technology, my students probably are light-years ahead of me.
When it comes to educational or work purposes, however, they have a lot to learn. They are too used to doing everything on their cellphones. They type essays the same way they types text messages - with two fingers and with text language (abbreviations, lack of capital letters, lack of punctuation, etc.).
To address this, I need to get them on computers and laptops on a more regular basis. Our school has a limited number of Chromebook carts and computer labs that teachers can battle it out to reserve. And, unfortunately, due to large class sizes, even when a teacher manages to secure this technology there is often more students than laptops.
By obtaining a few extra Chromebooks to live in my classroom, I never have to worry about one or two students having to watch everyone else on laptops while they are using cellphones or paper. Also, on days when the technology is already booked, I can use these few Chromebooks to have students work in collaborative groups on digital projects or researching historical context related to the books we're reading. I would also be able to help students after school on their essays and projects.
With your help, I will have valuable tools at my disposal to help my students succeed in my class and to prepare them for college and work in an increasingly technological age.
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