There are certainly many different uses for our grant money,
but the one I would like to focus on has to do with technology. The grant may
not allow us to spend money on technology, but I hope that we can use it to
better integrate our current technology into the classroom.
In today’s
world, technology has become a vital part of our lives, both outside the
classroom and in it. Students frequently utilize it in the classroom. In 2010,
a survey of UM students showed that 50% of them bring laptops to their classes
(1). I conducted a similar survey in the TMB, asking random students whether or
not they frequently take notes on their computers or other mobile devices in
the classroom. Nearly a third of students said that they carry their mobile
devices to class in order to use them for note-taking.
In addition
to allowing students to take better notes, laptops—when used correctly in the
classroom—can help students be more engaged in the lecture and promotes
collaborative activity between students. One study even showed that students
who use laptops in class get better grades (2).
When conducting my survey, I also
asked students who answered “no” why they decide not to use their laptops in
class. Here, the answers were varied—ranging from “they are too heavy to carry”
to “I prefer writing by hand”—but many students also said that there weren’t
enough power outlets. As a student who uses a laptop for note-taking in almost
every class, this is an important issue for me.
It was also an important issue for
Dr. Reed during my interview with her. Most of her suggestions involved ways to
better integrate technology into the classroom and encourage group
collaboration.
I would like to see a portion of
our grant money go towards making it easier for students with laptops to
becomes more integrated into the
classroom. In order to get them off of the fringes of the class, I would love
to see the addition of furniture with built-in power outlets. Something like
this table would be a great addition to classroom seating.
(3)
http://myturnstone.com/products/campfire-big-table/?kwid=productads-plaid^83820197889-sku^CAMPFIRE+BIG+TABLE-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^53932719878
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