Teachers, I want to know your opinions on technology at school

[Anonymous]

Do you find that is is helpful or doesn't make a difference?

Do you think each child should have a laptop assigned to them?

Would you rather the money be spent on other resources, such as hands-on projects?

Do you think cell phones should be restricted, banned or permitted at school?

Online books vs. textbooks. Which do you prefer?

As a parent I have my opinions but I am not in the schools working with kids. I really want to know your opinion.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely need technology in school. I have 35 years of experience, and this is how we learn. Kids need to interface with technology to personalize learning, to research, to write, and to collaborate. Learning should be interactive- not rote worksheets with no feedback. Technology provides many interactive experiences and opportunities that nothing else can.
Cell phones: students need to learn when NOT to use them. They are addictive and they impede interaction. They can come to school, but not in the classroom. in the classroom. And that goes for

[Anonymous]

Sorry, about those last lines...my text disappeared on the small screen and I rewrote! So much for cell phones, right?
Love mine, but there is a time and place, period.

[Anonymous]

Laptops or ChromeBooks are just a tool, just as a pencil is a tool. They each have a time and place. The biggest problem I see with laptops or ChromeBooks is the free access to the internet without any filters. Most children have not learned good internet safety and many have problems avoiding sites that problematic. If our school system did a better job managing access then I think that these tools would be used better by teachers in our school.

From what I've seen, most children use their cellphones during the day for texting or social media apps. They do not need to do this during the school day. Cellphones should be off and in lockers for elementary and middle school students.

Online textbooks are great but our children are not learning how to use a textbook and this is an important skill. Each child should have a textbook for school and home use for classes like math.

[Anonymous]

Aside from basic word processing/sharing software, I’m not a fan. I think it’s distracting and cumbersome and administrators feel the need to justify the expense and end up pushing initiatives that feel unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

In terms of laptops I would love to use them more often but the district I teach in leaves no money in the budget for maintenance and I end up wasting time trying to get kids logged in or find enough computers that work so I've stopped using them.

Cell phones are a major distraction. Kids use them under the desks in class, take a long time using the bathroom because they are on their phones, etc. I think they are a real problem in school.

[Anonymous]

I am the first poster. I do want to add, as a response to the second poster, that internet use is a whole other issue. Yes, unfettered access is a problem, but the problem isn't because they will have access at school. It is every where else. The school must have strong filters, but also a visual managing system- meaning that I can see, at any time, who is doing what from my device -at any time. Colleges have this...but interestingly enough K through 12 doesn't always. Spend the money.

Children accessing the dark web, or even parts of the mainstream can have devastating consequences: depression, violent actions, suicide. Social media is not really a great thing for kids, either....they do not gave the maturity to handle it. This is a societal thing, and a problem for parents. Quite apart from that, kid's screen time must be limited. Cell phone use is a real problem everywhere. We are looking at a serious problem with kids on devices all day. That being said- yes, we teach with technology. Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Math teacher-zero benefit of phones/computers in class. English/history uses them a lot, but the push to go "paperless" in math is destroying students' math skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math teacher-zero benefit of phones/computers in class. English/history uses them a lot, but the push to go "paperless" in math is destroying students' math skills.

First poster here again:
Phones in class ARE a waste of time. Computers are not a waste of time.

Here is why it is NOT a waste of time. When a kid takes a book or worksheet home, and they fill the assignment is all wrong, they have no idea that their work is actually wrong, or that their process is wrong. Or, they do. So, they come in Monday, or whatever, and the teacher may review ( or not, because we know that doesn't always happen!) but regardless, it is bring reviewed problem by problem and all the kid knows is that he got it wrong, but doesn't know why. That is not the time that his process problems will be solved. His issue is different than the next kid's problem. He also doesn't know what he doesn't know....all math teachers know what I am talkkng about. His needs cannot be met in this environment. The day before, when this kid is doing it, the program is walking the student through the process. If, at any point the PROCESS is faulty, the program stops and starts from there. He CANNOT go on without passing that process..to the end of the problem. That is quality HW. It is personalized learning. Not a book or worksheet. In addition, if we are talking about staple practice for facts- online games cannot be beat. NO MORE WORKSHEETS. Teachers- school yourself with OERS and even purchased programs (!) to bring up your game. If you do not see the benefit of technology in Math, it has been awhile for some PD for you. Everyone will profit from it.


There are writing, reading, and grammar programs like this, too. Invaluable...Quill, No Red Ink Comon Lit, Read Theory . Teaching without this help is a waste of everyone's time. It is a complement to instruction, not a replacement, but we will not be going back to someone using a book in front of a room.

Lastly, no teacher should be well versed in Google Classroom.That has changed everything. EVERYTHING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math teacher-zero benefit of phones/computers in class. English/history uses them a lot, but the push to go "paperless" in math is destroying students' math skills.

First poster here again:
Phones in class ARE a waste of time. Computers are not a waste of time.

Here is why it is NOT a waste of time. When a kid takes a book or worksheet home, and they fill the assignment is all wrong, they have no idea that their work is actually wrong, or that their process is wrong. Or, they do. So, they come in Monday, or whatever, and the teacher may review ( or not, because we know that doesn't always happen!) but regardless, it is bring reviewed problem by problem and all the kid knows is that he got it wrong, but doesn't know why. That is not the time that his process problems will be solved. His issue is different than the next kid's problem. He also doesn't know what he doesn't know....all math teachers know what I am talkkng about. His needs cannot be met in this environment. The day before, when this kid is doing it, the program is walking the student through the process. If, at any point the PROCESS is faulty, the program stops and starts from there. He CANNOT go on without passing that process..to the end of the problem. That is quality HW. It is personalized learning. Not a book or worksheet. In addition, if we are talking about staple practice for facts- online games cannot be beat. NO MORE WORKSHEETS. Teachers- school yourself with OERS and even purchased programs (!) to bring up your game. If you do not see the benefit of technology in Math, it has been awhile for some PD for you. Everyone will profit from it.


There are writing, reading, and grammar programs like this, too. Invaluable...Quill, No Red Ink Comon Lit, Read Theory . Teaching without this help is a waste of everyone's time. It is a complement to instruction, not a replacement, but we will not be going back to someone using a book in front of a room.

Lastly, no teacher should be well versed in Google Classroom.That has changed everything. EVERYTHING.

Thank you very much for mentioning specific Language Arts programs you recommend. What math programs provide the instruction you describe? In DS's class, the math teacher has the kids play math video games. IXL is also used, but it seems to provide math questions, no explanation about the process or where the student went wrong.

Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on Google Classroom. You aren't a fan, but why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math teacher-zero benefit of phones/computers in class. English/history uses them a lot, but the push to go "paperless" in math is destroying students' math skills.

First poster here again:
Phones in class ARE a waste of time. Computers are not a waste of time.

Here is why it is NOT a waste of time. When a kid takes a book or worksheet home, and they fill the assignment is all wrong, they have no idea that their work is actually wrong, or that their process is wrong. Or, they do. So, they come in Monday, or whatever, and the teacher may review ( or not, because we know that doesn't always happen!) but regardless, it is bring reviewed problem by problem and all the kid knows is that he got it wrong, but doesn't know why. That is not the time that his process problems will be solved. His issue is different than the next kid's problem. He also doesn't know what he doesn't know....all math teachers know what I am talkkng about. His needs cannot be met in this environment. The day before, when this kid is doing it, the program is walking the student through the process. If, at any point the PROCESS is faulty, the program stops and starts from there. He CANNOT go on without passing that process..to the end of the problem. That is quality HW. It is personalized learning. Not a book or worksheet. In addition, if we are talking about staple practice for facts- online games cannot be beat. NO MORE WORKSHEETS. Teachers- school yourself with OERS and even purchased programs (!) to bring up your game. If you do not see the benefit of technology in Math, it has been awhile for some PD for you. Everyone will profit from it.


There are writing, reading, and grammar programs like this, too. Invaluable...Quill, No Red Ink Comon Lit, Read Theory . Teaching without this help is a waste of everyone's time. It is a complement to instruction, not a replacement, but we will not be going back to someone using a book in front of a room.

Lastly, no teacher should be well versed in Google Classroom.That has changed everything. EVERYTHING.

Thank you very much for mentioning specific Language Arts programs you recommend. What math programs provide the instruction you describe? In DS's class, the math teacher has the kids play math video games. IXL is also used, but it seems to provide math questions, no explanation about the process or where the student went wrong.

Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on Google Classroom. You aren't a fan, but why?

So SORRY!It should be " No teacher should NOT be well-versed In Google Classroom.I love it, and when I first started using it years ago I knew teaching as we know it would be forever changed. It is unbelievably versatile for so many collaborative and instructional opportunities, and manages the workload to everyone's benefit. LOL! The print on the phone kills me...

Okay, Math. First check out OER Commons and Open Educational Resources to see what areas and levels you want, but also Khan Academy. IXL is good for practice and it does lessons, too.
Open Up Resources MathGoodies

Paid items...Komodo Math, Coolmath

And many more for sure

[Anonymous]

I teach kindergarten. I think computers in schools (ie, one to one) are a waste of money. If I was in charge, there'd be pets in the classroom, beautiful reading lofts, a science grow lab for plants, tons of books, blocks, dramatic play areas.....but computers? Nope.

[Anonymous]

Math teacher pp: I can see the value of technology outside the classroom for the reasons you posted. Not inside though. Khan academy is not a replacement for a teacher who can answer questions.

[Anonymous]

I'm a high school English teacher.

Students need paper/hard copy texts. I once had the misfortune of working for a principal who insisted upon using "online editions" instead of purchasing the new class sets I wanted. This was catastrophic because students were not able to annotate as thoroughly as they might have done with actual books. Students were also less able to complete the kind of "close reading" necessary for literary analysis, and the difficulty locating key passages to support assertions in class discussion was frustrating for all. That year, I quietly purchased the books my students needed with my own money (almost $1k for the year, for all of my class sections and all of the novels we needed). That principal wasted a great deal of money on other technology we did not need, and he insisted that teachers incorporate much of this into our lessons. My AP English Lit scores that year were the lowest I've had in my entire teaching career. (The principal moved on to head a more prestigious private school, and I hear that parents still adore him).

Students waste a great deal of time with phones, and I wish our school would ban them in the classroom.

Laptops are essential on designated drafting days. I like to drop in and out of student drafts via Google docs so that I can type feedback/direction, and shy students appreciate this because it is a way for them to receive detailed, directed feedback in a way that does not call attention to the student. It also keeps students on their toes because they know that each night, I will randomly drop into a few Google doc drafts to see student progress and offer input. Students need to learn to write and format papers on their computers, and I would never want to revert to paper-and-pen composition writing only.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am not a fan of technology in the classroom and I am not in the trenches either so wanted to hear first hand what it is like for teachers. I am hearing pros and cons from both sides based on how it is being used. And thank you for educating me on applications on how it is useful. I wish that in elementary, we could devote more funds to the teachers to provide a real hands on learning projects for the kids.

One thing that does sound unanimous is banning cell phones. I am not a fan of kids addicted to their screens. Studies have shown it is unhealthy and leads to depression and anxiety. Yet some parents think that using these social media apps and playing games will somehow make their child the next Zuckerburg, Jobs or Gates. I would like to see more studies done and results review by the school board.