Kyrene School District-Why Are Test Scores So Low?

English Language Learners’ test scores continue to have a negative impact when included in a school’s statistics in meeting their AYP. I look forward to developing and attaining the knowledge to use technology tools in a way that will increase and reinforce my students’ motivation and my lesson plans.

                Technology is a great tool to use in the classroom, however, as with any tool -  it needs to be used correctly. To simply have laptops and Smart Boards available in classrooms is not enough. A thorough knowledge of how these tools will be effectively implemented to maximize learning potential is required; otherwise, they are a waste of teachers’ time and taxpayers’ money. As the article states on Page 7, there is minimal research so far on exactly how beneficial technology is for motivating students and helping them learn.

                While it is true that using a Smart Board, for example, helps students engage in a lesson, engagement alone is not enough and gets “old” quickly. Background knowledge is still needed in order to grasp concepts.  The example given of the little boy playing a math game on the computer, the prompt tells him to ‘Try Again’ is not showing him the cognitive processes that are needed in order to solve the problem. He can keep trying and trying until he “shoots” the right answer, but he does not know how to get there on his own. As the article suggests, he is just playing, not learning.

                I agree with Randy Yerrick, Associate Dean of Educational Technology at the University of Buffalo. Technology should be implemented for instruction BEYOND what can be done in a traditional classroom. Only then are lessons used to not quickly engage for a quick moment and that is all, but to use these resources to accomplish more sophisticated lesson plans that technology has the job to do. A good example is in the English classroom where students are blogging, picking out their favorite songs and building Facebook pages in order to gain perspective on Shakespeare.

                This does not take away from the traditional teaching methods with the teacher lecturing in front of the room, students doing group work and writing with the pen and paper method, which this particular teacher still believes in and the fact that even with technology, larger classrooms still make it extremely difficult for the instructor to tailor lessons and attention to diverse learners. Technology does not replace individual human attention.

                If I were a parent who had children in the Kyrene school district, I could not justify voting for a larger budget on technology, and consequently have my taxes increase if my child’s school district still did not meet its AYP. The Kyrene school district’s budget should not concentrate its spending on technology only; however, it should include increasing the hiring of effective teachers, implementing funds for basic classroom supplies and decreasing class sizes. I believe if these changes were made there could be a strong chance their test scores will improve. There is an old expression, “We cannot put all of our eggs in one basket.” We cannot rely on just one vehicle for change. Our children are too important.