Moving to 1-to-1 Computers for students

There has been a lot of talk about moving on to 1-to-1 computers for students. I have always had a strong opinion about being opposed to this. I have seen computers do more bad things than good (for the most part). In my high school we had accessible lap tops and kids would play games more than try and work, and that was in high school. What do you think that middle school kids, or even elementary kids are going to do. Our school tried to block all game websites to avoid that problem, but we knew how to get into all the proxy servers. Once they blocked all of those, we would find or create more. It was a never ending cycle of not wanting to do out work during that time. I just feel like there are so much more productive things that could be going on outside of the computer.

Children these days are all about technology. Yes, I admit, I don't know what I would do without my technology, but I remember when I was younger and use to play outside everyday. Before cell phones (for young kids), computers, internet, and everything else that is taken advantage of these days. I rarely see kids outside playing freely without something attached to their hip, like a cell phone, before the age of 10! I would never think that I would have had a cell phone before 15, and that was even pushing it. Besides the cell phone, it is all about video games and computer games. These things already consume a lot of kids lives at home, so why continue it at school? I guess my point is, I am just for a standard classroom, and I feel as if it is my job to make it enjoyable being a teacher, not counting on the computer to do it for me. I am not opposed to using them, but 1-to-1 just seems like a bad idea. Although, many of my ideas could come from the computer, I would rather teach them, then a computer teach my kids.

Another thing that is said that could be a problem is the fact that the teachers have to do a lot of work to make sure that the computer is implemented into the classroom in an effective way. I would rather take that time to make my lesson plans that I learn from and that I could teach. The teachers get to chose what time the students get their laptops. Why do that when you could just go to a lab in the school? That is what we did in high school and middle school (unless you checked out the portable laptops). The other problem is what if a laptop breaks, drops, or needs to be fixed? Is the school going to be paying for the fix or the repair? If so, where is all this money coming from? In out economy today, schools are firing good teachers because of budget cuts. Do we really want to keep firing teachers so we can use some of that money for computers for 1-to-1? I would not want that. I know that they are completely different budgets, but it is still money that is coming to the school.

These are some reasons why I think 1-to-1 should not be implemented into these schools for children.

Now, between Monday October 25, 2010's lecture and some things that I have read (website below), there is a lot of good things that are said to be implemented because of the 1-to-1 computer to student ratio. I can't sit here and state my opinion and not acknowledge that is helping things such as graduation rates. If I had to chose to have the 1-to-1 ratio, it would only be in high school because those are the only kids that could maybe handle it (although I don't think so). Little kids are too immature and careless to be running around with a laptop. You can't always keep them at school. What if there is an assignment and it is being done on their laptop. how are they going to finish it? As I said before, I know a good things have come from this, but I think the negatives FOR NOW out weigh the positives.


http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/07/26/are-computers-for-every-student-a-wise-investment/

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/02/16/11-programs-only-as-good-as-their-teachers/

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