I am currently reading Laptops and Literacy by Mark Warschauer as part of my lit review for my laptops and learning inquiry. The following is a link to a paper presented by Mr. Warschauer in April 2006 which touches on many of the same issues as the book, both of which provide a wonderful resource to those interested in technology, laptops, reading, writing and "literacy". I think all of our group members will find this piece useful:
http://www.gse.uci.edu/faculty/markw/AERA-2006-laptops.pdf
In this paper Mr. Warschauer identifies 3 literacy and learning challenges, and discusses the gaps between (1) past/future (2) home/school and (3) rich/poor. His team undertook a 2 year laptop and literacy study looking at schools in California and Maine with 1:1 laptop initiatives, each with unique demographics. The study sought to answer these questions:
1. What kind of changes take place in literacy practices in the 1:1 classroom?
2. How does laptop use affect student test scores in reading, writing, English and language arts?
3. How do changes in literacy practices differ among diverse students and schools?
His comment on p. 25 struck me as particularly interesting as he notes that there is "not a consistent match between the benefits of laptop use and the skills and proficiencies tested on current versions of standardized exams." While these skills are important for 21st century living they are not measured on high stakes tests. What does this say about our government's goals? If we look back to the first articles we reviewed for this class the report prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Ed was all about effectively integrating technology. However, they didn't seem concerned or even mention that those skills are not measured by the current standardized tests and at times may run contrary to testing situations (word processing essays vs. hand-writing them for high stakes tests).
The paper is worth checking out as I think everyone can find some valuable support information.
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4 comments:
Hi Ann, this is Joe (TA)
You are right, standardized tests seem out of touch with the actual skills students need to survive. Aside from causing undue straing on our resources relying on standardized testing short-changes students. Kids spend many hours in front of a TV playing games or watching shows. They spend hours on computers chatting, browsing, and again, playing games. The negative aspects of this have been widely reported, but there is one positive aspect. Kids are very visually literate. For example, they are able to pick up a video camera, and with a little training, they can produce short videos. Due to their hours of 'training' in front of a TV, they know how to tell a story. It is impressive to see. But those skills are not reflected on standardized tests, which makes students appear to be less knowledgeable and skilled.
Hi Ann,
Good point about the government goals. Since I am not in a 1:1 laptop school (we're a "no laptop school") I had not considered the troubling correlation between standardized testing and technology. If we were a 1:1 school, students would likely be expected to type almost any piece of writing, ultimately harming them when it came test time. I can just imagine my fourth grade team throwing a fit and rebelling! :)
We are a diverse country, indeed, and that diversity adds to the difficult government job of creating a technology plan that equally considers the school that has very little technology and the school that relies on technology to perform daily tasks. Good points!
Only one class in our school has a set of laptops, and I am not privy to them. (Long story, and I am afraid my tirade would not be beneficial for anyone. Well, it might be beneficial for me. :))Because of this, it is hard for me to even fathom having every student in my classroom with so much technology at their fingertips. I would be in heaven. Hopefully my test scores wouldn't drop too much. :)
In regards to laptops and standardized testing, I did come across this: http://education.zdnet.com/?p=802. Apparently Arizona is piloting a program where students take these high-stakes testing online, using their laptops. "The implementation of putting the AIM test online goes hand in hand with the state schools chief's request to provide every student in Arizona with a laptop."
I can see the benefits of this. Like you, I took the GRE on a computer, and I found the instant results fabulous. I think the benefits would be numerous, but it was interesting to note the student they quoted: "It sounds a lot more convenient to have you do it on the computer, but it would be harder for those of us who can't type fast," he said. "Writing and math would be kind of hard on the computer."
We've been talking about using the computer to complete writing assignments and how it might hamper standardized testing, but I suppose the flip-side is true as well. If students are not using computers in the classroom and then required to test on one, they would be at a disadvantage.
Great article and comments, all. This reinforces many of the things I wrote about in my first reflection paper for this course. The standardized tests need standardization. The goals are not aligned with many of the imperatives set forth by local, state, and federal governments.
I've spoken before about the need for a pedagogical shift if we are to most effectively use technology. In this age of standardized testing, that may be the case. Education just seems to be so random right now; though I am in favor of students' finding their own path, this doesn't seem possible with high-stakes testing that isn't aligned with their strengths. It's like a massive power struggle between forging ahead full-force into the future and tempering technology for traditional standards of "achievement." The answer does not seem within our reach anytime soon.
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