Preventing the Negative Impacts Technology can have on Student Achievement

1. Preventing the NegativeImpacts Technology can haveon Student Achievement

2. Issues with technologyin the classroom • Students may end up visiting inappropriate websites. Examples of these would be shopping sites, violent sites, adult sites, and social networking sites or chat rooms. These sites pose the problem of students finding and viewing information that is unsuitable for the classroom. Being exposed to this type of material could lead to issues with student behavior. These sites could also result in viruses.

3. The Solutions to this Issue • This problem can be solved easily a couple of different ways. School districts and administrators can set up arrangements with their internet service provider to block certain sites. After this is in effect there may still be chances for students to view the wrong types of sites. Paying close attention to the students internet usage is important.

4. The Solutions to this Issue • Another thing to pay close attention to is the body language of the students. There are certain nervous gestures that can easily give away that the student is trying to get away with something they are not supposed to be doing. • Teachers should be given the ability as well as the technology to access the screens and service of each computer in their classroom using their own computer.

5. Issues with technologyin the classroom • Students may spend valuable classroom time surfing the web instead of doing the assigned task. Students can easily surf many different sites at one time. While to some this may seem like a good trait because they are able to multitask to others it is seen as a waste of time. Assignments could then take longer to complete, or may not even be able to be completed.

6. The Solutions to this Issue • Content control works for solving this issue as well, but there are other ways also. • Room arrangement is an important factor when it comes to classroom management. Teachers may want to place their desk towards the front of the room so they can be face to face with their students. However, when having the students work with computers the teacher should be located at the back of the room so they are able to see the screens of their students’ computers.

7. The Solutions to this Issue • Limiting the time students have on the computer could help, but this is tricky. You have to take into account that it may take some students longer to complete a task than other students. This could leave the students who get done faster time to surf the web, which could be okay. However, this could also lead to students venturing onto inappropriate sites.

8. Issues with technologyin the classroom • Students may not be familiar with the technology they are asked to use. The teacher may not fully explain the technology well enough for the students to be able to use it effectively. Another problem may be that a previous teacher did not do their job correctly by not making sure the students mastered the technology skill. The current teacher would then have to take time out to re-teach what the students should already know.

9. The Solutions to this Issue • A teacher’s main positive quality should be their ability to explain things. First the teacher has to have a clear understanding of what they are trying to teach. Teachers can not have a vague understanding of the technology that they want their students to use. Teachers should be trained and tested in technology before the school year begins. Certain technological skills should be mandatory for the teachers to know.

10. Informative links • Eliminate internet use completely for certain assignments by using different technology http://www.renlearn.com/neo/NEO2/default.aspxhttp://www.renlearn.com/neo/neo2/neo2-virtual-school-tour/default.aspx • http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/english121/projects/10b/jessy.htm • Blogging about these types of issues can give teachers new ideas to use http://mypodcast.com/