Should schools make students use pen and paper, or issue them with laptops?
91 replies, posted
I used to have a word processor in my secondary school to deal with my dyspraxia and it was a useless piece of shit that broke down in a week, and then was sent off for several weeks to be fixed. I'd imagine that a laptop put under the same stresses wouldn't last long.
At the moment, I believe it is not only down to schools, but also the exam boards for example. The current case at my school, is that we could use laptops if we wanted, but since the final exam has to be written, that it is better for us to do it like we will have to in the final exam anyway.
No, they should not have laptops. Elementary and high school students will just figure out how to fuck around on them. It's stupid to waste money on tech toys when most school systems can't even pay their teachers properly.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;32928603]No, they should not have laptops. Elementary and high school students will just figure out how to fuck around on them. It's stupid to waste money on tech toys when most school systems can't even pay their teachers properly.[/QUOTE]
I think it's pretty neat.
I think issuing laptops would be a neat idea, personally I find typing a fuckload easier than using a pen. Maybe, however, it'd be a better idea that the students buy their own laptops, instead of the school giving them ones.
Also I think there is a distinct lack of trust here. Some people have said it's a bad idea because they'd just play games on them, well IMO they can do that as much as they please, because they're the ones who'll get shitty grades and fail at life.
[QUOTE=RubberFruit;32929002]I think issuing laptops would be a neat idea, personally I find typing a fuckload easier than using a pen. Maybe, however, it'd be a better idea that the students buy their own laptops, instead of the school giving them ones.
[/QUOTE]
Then only the rich kids get to learn with technology, and the poor ones are left behind the times?
Conducting school with basic pens and paper puts everybody on equal footing and ensures everyone (hopefully) develops the same basic skills. If everything is done through technology, students are left clueless as to how things are done when the technology fails. Picture someone who can't write without a keyboard and computer, for instance. You're not always going to have all your expensive toys on hand in the future, so learn how to do it with the cheapest, most basic equipment.
Except for essay writing. Fuck that, nobody should have to sit there and physically write multiple pages of text. Do math, graphing, note taking, physics, and such on paper, but leave the heavy writing to machines after 6th grade.
I went to school in Australia before the netbooks were rolled out, so I bought my own laptop and took notes in class, and ending up doing a fair bit of homework on the train.
In the class I used it the most, I ended up getting 99% for the year, so take conclusions from that.
My handwriting is absolutely illegible, so it worked out really well.
I'm in my last year of secondary upper school, and I received my laptop from the municipality half a year ago. Since then I've been able to work more efficiently and I'm able to spend more time of the lesson working. This in turn has granted me much more free time when I'm not in school. Programs like Dropbox is useful as well as you're not restricted to your laptop when working at home.
A downside I've noticed is that you're more restricted when writing notes, making diagrams, illustrations etc. is much harder to do with a computer. Having to bring the computer to every lesson, along with books and stuff is a bit tiresome and probably not good for your back. The short battery life along with other technical issues is annoying as well.
But overall, having a computer can significantly enhance your performance in school if you're using it correctly, so I think laptops to students is a good investment. This is a relatively new phenomenon, but in the future I think the computers and the administration will be more efficient as we get more experience on how to use the computer as an educational tool.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;32929119]Then only the rich kids get to learn with technology, and the poor ones are left behind the times?
Conducting school with basic pens and paper puts everybody on equal footing and ensures everyone (hopefully) develops the same basic skills. If everything is done through technology, students are left clueless as to how things are done when the technology fails. Picture someone who can't write without a keyboard and computer, for instance. You're not always going to have all your expensive toys on hand in the future, so learn how to do it with the cheapest, most basic equipment.
Except for essay writing. Fuck that, nobody should have to sit there and physically write multiple pages of text. Do math, graphing, note taking, physics, and such on paper, but leave the heavy writing to machines after 6th grade.[/QUOTE]
If they're introduced for high school students only, I think there's no substantial risk of people forgetting how to write.
I mean, look at calculators. Who uses slide rules these days, except pilots?
[editline]24th October 2011[/editline]
[quote]along with books and stuff is a bit tiresome and probably not good for your back.[/quote]
I had the books on my computer, so it actually reduced the weight.
If the school can afford it, by all means introduce them. In the case of public schools, the federal funds that go to schools should foot the bill. In the case of private schools who can't afford them, then they should be able to apply for some amount of subsidized laptops when the budget allows.
[QUOTE=Ylsid;32920548]Laptops would be nice, but I doubt the current economic situation permits this.[/QUOTE]argentina did it...
I don't think the 'let them do what they want' is the way to go. Schools and teachers should also be there to make sure you actually do what you have to do. It shouldn't be "well you are here at school but if you don't wanna learn or do school stuff, thats fine"
I think it's better to keep writing by hand. Laptops can be good, but I think they bring too many negative things with them, mostly maintenance of the laptops, cost and that many students will probably do things they shouldn't. You can't continue doing your assignment if your laptop breaks somehow.
[QUOTE=BrQ;32930485]I don't think the 'let them do what they want' is the way to go. Schools and teachers should also be there to make sure you actually do what you have to do. It shouldn't be "well you are here at school but if you don't wanna learn or do school stuff, thats fine"[/QUOTE]
The problem with this is that while it sounds logical on paper, you end up with teachers spending all their time dicking around with un-cooperative students, rather then actually doing their job, teaching. If schools didn't use such a degree of force, then quality education would be allowed to take place far more often.
Sure, as an additional tool.
[QUOTE=Profanwolf;32920147]I think restricting people like that is ridiculous, let people take their own responsibility.
If they want to play games instead of do the work they should, then they can. But of course you should be allowed to do more than just coursework and work on the laptop you got.[/QUOTE]
Look at it from the bigger picture though. Then you have tax payers, paying for kids to sit around and play video games while they should be learning.
[QUOTE=Funcoot;32933190]Look at it from the bigger picture though. Then you have tax payers, paying for kids to sit around and play video games while they should be learning.[/QUOTE]
We pay for them playing tic-tac-toe already.
In my opinion, let the IT department continue to try and restrict it, and let kids use them. Yeah, some kids will always be finding ways around security, but why let a few bad apples ruin it for everyone. More good done than harm in my opinion.
In my opinion, I believe schools shouldn't issue laptops to students, even if they can afford it. The reason I say this is because the students will find some way to fuck up the laptop, whether it be removing the keys from the keyboards or getting a virus on it. It would a waste of money for the school and just wouldn't be a wise investment for the school. Just look at the computers you have your current or former high school, it's probably either broken or has a virus because some asshole thinks he's a hardass for destroying something that isn't his.
[QUOTE=Mio Akiyama;32933346]In my opinion, I believe schools shouldn't issue laptops to students, even if they can afford it. The reason I say this is because the students will find some way to fuck up the laptop, whether it be removing the keys from the keyboards or getting a virus on it. It would a waste of money for the school and just wouldn't be a wise investment for the school. Just look at the computers you have your current or former high school, it's probably either broken or has a virus because some asshole thinks he's a hardass for destroying something that isn't his.[/QUOTE]
No, actually at our school the computers work fine, they're just old because we don't have the money to replace them. The keys aren't missing and they aren't riddled with viruses. Maybe your particular area has a problem, but don't make the rest of us sound like inept morons because of it.
In my old high school (southern high school), we are not allow to even bring computers of our own, due to fear of people getting pass the restrictions like surfing pornography or some other chaotic and unappropriate stuff. We always use pen and paper and only use the computer to do our finals for our portfolio (which is always a pain in the ass trying to organized and get it all done). The problems we have right now is how expansive it is and how immature people will do immature things using the computer and causes problems, which is why most public schools still use pen and paper.
[QUOTE=Mio Akiyama;32933346]In my opinion, I believe schools shouldn't issue laptops to students, even if they can afford it. The reason I say this is because the students will find some way to fuck up the laptop, whether it be removing the keys from the keyboards or getting a virus on it. It would a waste of money for the school and just wouldn't be a wise investment for the school. Just look at the computers you have your current or former high school, it's probably either broken or has a virus because some asshole thinks he's a hardass for destroying something that isn't his.[/QUOTE]
i think the solution would probably to be like
uhh, making them liable if they pissed on the laptop?
at my elementary school, they had these things called alphasmarts, which were basically word processors that you could plug into a computer and transfer the text on over too. they were less expensive than laptops too. one of those would be really cool to have, (i actually have one because i recently found out i have dysgraphia so i have some weird permit thing) though it might be a little pain in the butt to transfer over in the middle of class to print stuff out and such
Essentially while laptops are not a bad tool per see, I strongly disagree with them being issued to lower level students.
I'd say that primary and secondary school should be laptop free if possible. Essentially the problem with lapops is, that they do so much for you, that you tend to learn bad habits.
You have a spellcheck, a grammar highlighter, as easy and fast way to find answers the lazy way and other stuff. Essentially if a kid get's to use a laptop at an early age in school, it will have more problems down the line in the future.
Work is one of the many things computers make easy, and misuse of them is a problem easily solved by IT departments of schools being more observant of the kids more inclined to piss fart around on a computer.
[QUOTE=Agoolab!;32942608]Work is one of the many things computers make easy, and misuse of them is a problem easily solved by IT departments of schools being more observant of the kids more inclined to piss fart around on a computer.[/QUOTE]
When you have 30 kids in a class and they all have laptops, and they all know alt-tab...
Take me for example, I'm a good kid but I still fart around on the computer during class, nobody notices. At all.
and, well, we could just install keyloggers... That wouldn't work out very well with privacy protection though.
[QUOTE=AntiNazi;32921731]Pens and paper. Computers+school=epic fail.[/QUOTE]
Highly disagree. We're in an era of rapid technological development. Education systems need to adapt to this technology and incorporate the benefits of it to help students get educated. If that means completely redesigning the way we teach and the way students learn, then so be it, but we shouldn't just give in to the mentality of "we gotta keep that shit old-school" just because it's tradition. You also gave no reason as to why exactly that "computers+school= epic fail".
Many students may benefit greatly from using a computer to type up their class notes, and technology can be used to help teach students the concepts in better ways. We shouldn't refuse to adapt to better tools and methods just out of fear of change.
Students playing games on computers and getting distracted really would not be much different from the student who used to sit around drawing stick figures in their notebook for the entire period, not to mention if it's really a big deal, the school network administrator can just disable the ability to play games on the computer. If the teacher isn't enforcing students paying attention (i.e actually making the lesson interesting instead of a boring lecture, or asking the class questions to keep them on their toes) then that's the teacher's fault.
[QUOTE=Te Great Skeeve;32942652]When you have 30 kids in a class and they all have laptops, and they all know alt-tab...
Take me for example, I'm a good kid but I still fart around on the computer during class, nobody notices. At all.
and, well, we could just install keyloggers... That wouldn't work out very well with privacy protection though.[/QUOTE]
My old school's IT network allowed operation only if the screencapture program was running, so they'd watch everyone
sure it was occasionally circumvented but whatever
I mean, if kids want to piss away their time, they'll do it regardless of whether or not they have a laptop
[editline]25th October 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=wraithcat;32940012]Essentially while laptops are not a bad tool per see, I strongly disagree with them being issued to lower level students.
I'd say that primary and secondary school should be laptop free if possible. Essentially the problem with lapops is, that they do so much for you, that you tend to learn bad habits.
You have a spellcheck, a grammar highlighter, as easy and fast way to find answers the lazy way and other stuff. Essentially if a kid get's to use a laptop at an early age in school, it will have more problems down the line in the future.[/QUOTE]
No one can write English properly anyway, get over it. If you coherent enough to be, well, understandable, that's good enough.
[editline]25th October 2011[/editline]
Hell, some of my tutors and lecturers are terrible with english.
And do you know how many people care? [B]No one.[/B]
And do you know why?
[B]Because there are more important fucking things in the world than arbitrary spelling and grammar rules.[/B]
[QUOTE=SIRIUS;32930242]argentina did it...[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but since I go to a private school I didn't get one.
Here's the website with info about the program:
[url]http://www.conectarigualdad.gob.ar/ingles/about-the-program-2/what-is-conectar-igualdad/[/url]
Personally, I find it very hard to stare into a monitor for 7+ hours. I cant imagine using a laptop at school, and playing games/studying on my PC after school, that would fuck up any kids eyes.
If all kids knew touch typing and had reasonable WPM count, then I am all for, EXCEPT for math. I think that overuse of technology at math leads to bad habits and strips you of the fundamental concepts: "why learn graphing by hand when you can just use a program?"
As for fucking around: my school consists of mostly braindead retards that dont give two shits about school. All they would do is play games, no matter how much you would restrict it. If I was them, I'd spend hours trying to figure out how to play games on it, and there always is a way.
I do have terrible handwriting, but can read after myself and type reasonably fast. Get a good mechanical pencil or smooth sliding pen, and you are good to go.
[QUOTE=Peter;32943724]Yeah, but since I go to a private school I didn't get one.
Here's the website with info about the program:
[url]http://www.conectarigualdad.gob.ar/ingles/about-the-program-2/what-is-conectar-igualdad/[/url][/QUOTE]
you go to a private school dude, your fine
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