Photo by akakumo on Flickr
As someone who talks a lot about Internet and web-based communications a lot in my work, it seems natural to me to think that schools would communicate electronically and use Web-based teaching tools.
This is not necessarily so, according to this Slashdot article by Amy Vernon, “K-12 Education Remains Stubbornly Outside the Cloud.” (The “cloud” being Internet -based storage of shared information, in this case school assignments, notifications, et al).
I read this with curiosity, as my experience in Newton Middle Schools (my son goes to Bigelow) has been that the schools are using the web very well for disseminating homework and other information to students, and now even distributing grades and progress reports. If anything, it has been a slow process getting used to these innovations, but I welcome them.
A few additional thoughts on the issue:
- Are all middle schools and high schools using them? What about elementary schools?
- Are we leaving behind any folks that for whatever reason are not Internet-connected at home (the “digital divide” question) if we rush to the Web?
- What is the next step? Is it using Facebook (or other tools)- or letting students do so- to communicate with each other online about assignments and projects?
- Are we really ahead of the curve in this? Does it feel that way to you?
What is your experience with “cloud-based” education in Newton?
Moving to the web is very helpful for many students with disabilities. Kids with certain LDs such as dysgraphia (writing), visual or auditory processing problems, or ADHD often have trouble getting their homework assignments accurately copied down in class – having the info available on line is a life-saver for them. Similarly, for those with special needs that affect executive function, it’s important for parents to be able to check what’s due and keep track of things. Having homework info online can make the difference between success and failure for these kids.
Certainly, this speaks directly to the conversation happening know about improving technology and figuring out how to pay for it.
It is really helpful that grades and progress reports are now online. Sure beats the days when it sat in the backpack for a few days until we knew to ask to see it.
It still bugs the heck out of me that one has to pay an added fee to pay for school lunches online, especially when you figure the alternative (i.e. have the kid hand the check to the teacher, the teacher brings it to the office, the office sends it to the Ed Center, the Ed Center enters it online, someone gets it ready for deposit, someone brings or sends it to the bank, etc.) has to cost the system more.
By the way, I’m curious about this paragraph that appears in the Deirdre Fernandes’ Globe story about school technology. (The bold is mine.)
Was it Epstein who said Mayor Warren will “likely propose” a debt exclusion override later this year, or has the mayor said he will likely propose a debt exclusion and I just missed it?
We asked Deirdre about this via Twitter….
The “digital divide” question is an interesting and important one. Certainly the overwhelming majority of families in Newton have internet access at home. As soon as we implement any system in the school though that absolutely requires home internet access then we need not 99.5% but 100% of families to have home access or else we need to set up a parallel non-computer system for those folks.
I’m curious whether any one has any accurate estimate of the number of homes without Internet access.
I plan to tell me kids to remember their 3rd grade at Franklin, the year that they got their first Google Docs accounts, and then parents were asked to help by printing out all the kids’ writings, and laminating them to make a “book.”
It’s a painful transition, but it’s clearly coming.
I’m glad to see the elementary schools are using Google Docs- I wasn’t sure. It’s useful to be able to make assignments so portable