Should Schools Provide Laptops to Students - Research Paper Example

College Lecturer Due Should Schools Provide Laptops to There is an ongoing debate among educators on the value and merits of having laptops as a classroom aid. The main point of the dissertation is the need to have the devices and the costs, in terms of both money and its effect on the learning outcomes. However, times have changed. Computer literacy is a relevant part of the educational process. It is no longer possible to be functional in the world of employment without it. Therefore, all educators should embrace the proposal for all students to have laptops as part of the educational process. Advantages of the project Laptops are a valuable instructional tool. They may be useful in the completion of assignments, virtual interaction of students and even conducting online research. When applied properly, they are a learning aid that can only be matched by the whiteboard. In fact, some colleges already use online services for their classes. Students take part in discussions on the course discussion boards and even take their exams online (Smallwood 39). This creates a platform where interactions are virtually unlimited. In addition, a tool is used when the teaching resources (such as classrooms and instructors) are limited and they have to be stretched to cover a large portion of the population. They also have added advantages because they reduce the time distance and the convenience of the discussions. For example, when they are used for college discussions, the posts are available for viewing at any time, hence allowing working students to select the time that suit them the most. However, this is not the same case with middle school and high schools. These students are in need of supervision and personal impaction of instructions from their teachers. This implies that the availability of virtual learning is not of much use to them. Therefore, the application of the gadgets is limited (Carlson 71). In third world countries such as India, there have been an over emphasis on the value of computers in learning (STROSS par 2). This has affected all levels of learning because there are huge budgetary allocations to the computer projects and the countries have limited budgets. Another point that has emerged is that there is a lack of the available resources required to make the projects realistic. For example, the rural parts of those countries have no access to electricity or internet coverage. Therefore, a case study of these countries would suggest that the use of laptops in the classrooms produces limited results (Seidman 214). However, in the US, there is internet coverage almost everywhere, the parents are computer literate for the most part, hence they assist their children, and electricity is available to the vast majority of homes. Therefore, the suitability of the project cannot be judged based on the results in the third world. Advancement in technology in all areas makes the use of laptops the easiest way to prepare students for the transition from students to workers. All aspects of life require an element of computer literacy; from the use of mobile phones to the withdrawal of money from the automatic teller machines (Bowdon et al. 54). Therefore, having laptops in education is a way to bridge the gap in the lives of students as well as improving the general outlook of the system. However, critics to the proposition argue that the previous generations were able to adapt to living in the offices without using the machines. Their transition was not hampered not being computer literate; they simply had to take computer lessons. While this is right, it is worth noting that taking such a stand limits the application of technology. The generational gap that exists between the two allowed for the older generation to take computer classes. Currently, those classes are few because people no longer need them. In addition, they represent the addition of extra time to the educational process. This makes the process more expensive due to the extra time requirement as well as the foregoing of employment (opportunity cost). In addition, the classes do not create fluency. Learners who take them are slower than the people who have lived with computers. Change is good. Change is the reason why people realize growth. The use of laptops in the educational process symbolizes Embracing change. Therefore symbolizes a will to grow. This improves the capacity for learning as well as the potential of the learners. However, change for the sake of change is not progress (Seidman 263)). There is a need to demonstrate the progressive value of adoption of laptops in the educational process. The process of education is characterized by inequality. The schools where the rich children are educated have already adopted the use of laptops. In addition, these children have access to computers at home. This gives them an advantage over their peers and therefore gives them an advantage in life (Bowdon et al. 86). Creating a requirement for universal ownership of laptops in schools is a way to bridge this gap and create a semblance of equality in the process. However, the laptops are not the only advantage that the rich children have. They also have access to extra learning aids as well as extra tuition if they need it. Therefore, the computers are unlikely to solve the problem of inequality; they will just create an illusion of equality that does not really exist (Bowdon et al. 106). While this point is valid, it is also worth noting that the inclusion of laptops will provide a way for a reduction in the gap and thus reduce it. Laptops also provide a platform for launching of other educational services. For example, there is growing concern about the budgetary allocation of schools and thus the allocations on facilities such as libraries. The result is that in most schools, the library resources are overstretched and outdated. The presence of laptops provides a platform for the launch of electronic libraries, where a single book may be accessible to the entire school, thus reducing the expenditure as well as increasing the access to quality education (Carlson 82). This is a point that proves the progressive nature of having the gadgets as part of the education process. The main criticism for the use of laptops in middle school is their distraction value. Giving a laptop to a child in mid school is likely to inspire them to play computer games and view adult content on the internet (STROSS par 1). Therefore, their effectiveness is limited by factors that are internal to the students. While this is true in most cases, it is also worth noting that all points have their disadvantages. In addition, the presence of laptops is likely to increase interest in learning. Here, classroom learning may be expanded to include other aspects of learning. For example, wherever a person is curious about something, they simply search it online and get instant access to information (Smallwood 143). Therefore, they actually expand the scope of learning in addition to supplementing classroom learning. The result is that the students are more knowledgeable in a wide field of knowledge. Problems expected in the implementation Funding is the main problem. The budgetary allocation to the education project has been decreasing over the years (Carlson 29). This implies that such an expensive project would require a significant injection of cash. The government is currently experiencing problems in funding new projects due to the recent recession and bad prioritizing (depending on political affiliation). The recent propositions for the health bill are a case in point. Therefore, the project would require an external investment, or an increase in taxes. In the private schools, it would lead to an increase in the school fees. While it may be a viable project, this reduces its applications. However, it is also possible for implementation in phases because requiring the parents to buy laptops for their children would only increase the level of inequality. The other option would be subsidy and sponsorship of kids from families that are unable to afford (this would create a problem because of the criterion chosen to choose such kids and the lengthy application processes). There is also the problem of illiteracy among the teachers. For effective implementation, the teachers need to be computer literate in order to make full use of this new and advanced learning aid. However, some of the teachers only have basic skills like the rest of the population. This would create a problem of the additional cost of training them or invalidating the whole process. To overcome this problem, the implementers have to ensure that recruitment of teachers requires a certain level of computer literacy as well as arranging for the training of the available teachers before the commencement of the project (Willis 72). This should be the first phase of implementation. The advantage is that the presence of school holidays offers the chance to do this without interruption of learning. In the implementation of the process, and for the full utilization of the available resources, there is need for support materials. For example, all schools should have wireless internet access as well as virtual libraries. This may be overcome with the installation of the networks. The virtual libraries are tricky because of the copyright rules governing reproduction of printed material. However, it is possible for schools in a certain locality to combine and create a system that is accessible to all their students, thus reducing the costs and increasing the amount of material accessible to students (Willis 83). There are also bound to be other problems after the preliminary introduction, for example, the issue of replacing and repairing broken computers as well as misplaced laptops. However, with time, practical solutions for these problems will emerge (Willis 91). In conclusion, the world is moving towards a digital age. The educational process needs to in touch with this movement. The first step is the adoption of information technology in teaching and learning to ease the process and increase its scope. There is no doubt that education remains one of the most stagnated fields in the world today, making the learning process dull and boring to students. There is a need for progress, and the first step should be the introduction and enforcement of a policy that requires all students to have laptops. Work cited Bowdon, Melody A., and Russell G. Carpenter. Higher education, emerging technologies, and community partnerships: concepts, models and practices. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference, 2011. Print. Carlson, Cameron B., and Jean A. Patterson. A case study of a pilot one-to-one laptop initiative in a high performing catholic high school. New York: Wiley , 2007. Print. Seidman, Steven A.. Posters, propaganda, & persuasion in election campaigns around the world and through history. New York: P. Lang, 2008. Print. Smallwood, Carol. Librarians as community partners an outreach handbook. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010. Print. STROSS, RANDALL. "Computers at Home: Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality." The New York Times . N.p., 10 July 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. . Willis, Laurie. Electronic devices in schools. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Print. Read More