Week 3: Article Critique

1.    Provide the complete article title and author: 

The name of the article chosen to critique is a special edition from The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, titled “Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump Over the Fourth-Grade Slump.”(Suhr, K.A., Hernandez, D. A., Grimes, D., Warschauer, M.)

     

2.    State the intended audience. (What is empirical research; how does it help the classroom?)

 Empirical research uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation. With regard to this article, as with most empirical research, the intended audience are educators interested in the effects of one-to-one initiatives. “Some of the most promising research results to date have come from the so-called one-to-one computing initiatives, sometimes known as laptop programs.”(Robler, M.D., Doering, A. H., 2013) These programs are easily explained. Every student, in a given grade, is given a small portable personal computer and the impact on achievement  drop out rate, attendance, and other factors are measured. According to the text, Maine led this effort with a statewide program for middle school students in 2001 after a successful pilot project. After three years, Gulek and Demirtus (2005) reported that middle school students who had used laptops showed significantly higher achievement than their non-laptop cohorts in nearly all measures. As a parent, I too would be interested in the findings of this research. Although our son is entering high school, I remember vividly the struggles he had transitioning into the reading to learn phase of education.                   

3.    What is/are the research question/questions or hypothesis/hypotheses? 

One of the primary research questions was could, if provided, students who experienced the transition from learning to read and reading to learn benefit, with significance, the use of laptop computers and other technologically infused curriculum. The results from both the text and the article conclude that the students can and did increase in two major English Language Arts standards: writing strategies and literary response and analysis. As with most scientific research, their was a lower percentage of success among the socio-ecomonic and non-white majority students. One could contend that this category of students is less likely to have continued access to high-end technology outside of the class room. School districts across the nation are highly vested in the outcome of all research that could potentially tackle and avoid the multiple pit-falls encountered when trying to educate a nation.The question of whether the gains seen are short lived or will last throughout the students’ education is yet to be seen.

4.    Describe the subject (participants) and the procedures (methods) used by the researcher(s)? 

There is a known phenomenon that occurs in students exiting the fourth grade and entering the fifth grade where students are less exposed to sight words and must learn the definition of the new words encountered. Therefore the subject of this research are fourth and fifth grade students. The procedure used by the researchers was to provide all of the students in a given grade small portable laptop computers, then measure any difference in achievement, attendance, drop out rate, English Language and reading skills. Bebell and O’Dwyer (2010) edited a group of articles reporting the results of four other one-to-one initiatives (Bebell & Kay, 2010,  Shapely, Sheehan, Maloney, & Caranikas-Walker, 2010, Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, & Warschauer, 2010; Weston & Bain, 2010). There reports show that each initiative had an impact on quality predictors, but the amount of impact varied according to extraneous factors such as teacher acceptance and peripherals such as projection systems along with the devices, offered continuing technical support and in-depth professional development.

5.    What were the conclusions of the researchers? 

Overall, schools with one-to-one computing programs had “fewer discipline problems, lower dropout rates, and higher college attendance than schools with a higher ratio of student to computers” (Devaney, 2010). In non-one-to-one comparison schools in the study, sixty nine percent reported that their students’ achievement scores on high-stakes tests were on the rise. Schools with one-to-one computing programs had a slightly higher (70%) increase, but it was eighty-five percent in schools with one-to-one computing programs that “employed certain strategies for success, including electronic formative assessments on a regular basis and frequent collaboration of teachers in professional learning communities”(Devaney, 2010).

6.    Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions? 

From an educators’ standpoint, I have to agree that, if uniformly presented and consistently supported, the conclusion that one-to-one initiatives are successful is agreed. I also see the disparities among the different schools that surround the system where I teach. For example, my school has one computer lab, consisting of twenty-two desktop computers. When resources are limited, the time each student is allowed to spend on the computer must be limited as well. Although, within 30 miles of my school is a small school system with a great deal of communal support. This school has three computer labs, and four mobile computer stations with thirty laptops in each system. They also have enough Kindle electronic books to provide several classes of freshman the opportunity to use them every day. I provide this example to support my position that socio-economic status and community support makes all the difference in the world. Maybe, if my school had the same amount of technological support as the one that is over flowing with computers, there would be an increase in the writing samples of our students. I must also speak of one of the pitfalls I foresee. The students I teach will write the way they speak. It is inevitable that if a student speaks improper English before and after school, they are going to speak improper English and write improper English while they are at school. There is no program that can “teach” proper English. Many teachers say technology’s visual and interactive qualities can direct students’ attention towards learning tasks. If we are engaging our students in the subject, and not so much the visual stimulation, then we should be just as successful as schools with ample technology. As teachers, “withitness” is ingrained into our day to day lives. But, I can tell you with first hand experience, students are crafty when it comes to staying on task and/or concealing that they are viewing a non-educational site just as quickly as you turn your head. Maybe, if I were surrounded in an environment where my students were exposed to technology every day, without fail, for an extended time, I would be more likely to support the views and conclusions reported in this article..

     

7.    What suggestions for further research do the authors suggest? 

As stated above, if research is headed towards the positive impact of one-to-one initiatives, then this technology must be made available for every school, regardless of socio-economic status, or non-white populations. Instead of comparing one group to another within the same school, I suggest more research be focused on one group in one socio-economic status to another group in a higher or lower socio-economic status. I would be interested in the results of a study of that nature.

Summary of how Chapter 1 relates to one-to-one computing:

    As was pointed out in several places above, funding is the first challenge to face when considering one-to-one computing. The distinct economic downturn in 2008 pushed the countries priorities to the forefront. Regardless of your political standpoint, many changes were made in an effort to balance a very skewed budget. Education, as usual, was one of the first to feel the cuts. Technology, regardless of your viewpoint, was one of the more expensive items, thus we were faced with a decision: to fund or not to fund. Advocates of one-to-one computing find themselves faced with the costs due to replacing their aging computer systems. Some are willing to make cuts to keep up the increased costs, while others prefer looking to music, arts, etc. as areas that are just as important to a whole education.

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 placed an enormous amount of pressure on test results. A holistic education went the way of the standardized test scores. Though the Act was modified when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was reauthorized, the trend for students to pass tests and meet required standards remained. The result is a debate over best practices with technologies. Many citizens approve of the role of traditional, teacher-directed methods  versus student-led, inquiry-based methods. What is proposed, and seems inevitable, is Common Core Standards. This is a set of content standards that would be the same, regardless of what state you live in. Although controversial, the trend toward these standards looks strong.

    With an increasing number of courses being offered, virtual high schools are becoming more and more prevalent. On one hand, students could have increased access to high quality courses and degrees, however, virtual learning is not a one-size-fits-all teaching approach, and as scientific proof reveals, its not a one-size-fits-all learning style. The obvious recognition that technological efficiency is the future, several states are trying to "stay ahead of the game" and have already placed the completion of a distance course as a high school necessity.  

 Click here to view an interesting web-site related to down falls of one-to-one computing.

#ed505uwaray http://t.co/dXMrQO8G51 one-to-one computing

— D. B. Tanner (@DBTanner1) June 25, 2013