Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper

Part 2 White Paper Ramirez

Computers in Education
By Carla Cooper and Evelia Ramirez
December 2006 !ni"ersit# o$ Ca%i$ornia at &er'e%e#
1
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
((()consttutioncenter)or*
Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state
and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and
the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our
recognition of the importance of education to our democratic
society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public
responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very
foundation of good citienship. Today it is a principle instrument in
awa!ening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later
professional training, and in helping him to ad"ust normally to his
environment. In theses days, it is doubtful that any child may be
reasonably expected to succeed in life if he is denied the
opportunity of an education. #uch an opportunity, where the state
has ta!en the opportunity to provide it, is a right which must be
made available to all on equal terms$ %&arren, 'arl 1()*+.
http+,,m0sia)ru,*a%%er#,computer,-ar"ard./ar'.0.Computer
,s we approach -../, computing has changed from pure equation
processing technology, embodied by the MARK 1 at 0arvard and the E102C at
the 1niversity of 2ennsylvania, to information processing technology. 3To !now...
used to mean having information stored in ones memory. It now means the
-
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
process of having access to information and !nowing how to use it.$
i
#chool
boards and 2T,4s once dictated what was necessary in the classroom. 5ow
education experts and IT gurus set the bar. 1se of computers combined with the
internet ma!e the distribution of information quic! and equitable. Computers "ust
ma!e sense in the classroom. They improve higher order thin!ing s!ills and
thereby fit in to the paradigm of the acquisition !nowledge being cognitive. 6ne
teacher, I!ai!a 2lun!ett of 7ahu!u 0igh and Intermediate #chool in 0awaii, sums
up the benefit of having his students complete their assignments via computer
saying, 3I used to spend - 18- hours grading homewor! each night. 5ow the
students get it instantaneously on the computer. They do the wor! and they !now
right away. It9s a brea!through for me.3
ii
3This is the computer generation,3 said :ichael Turico, chief technology
officer for 'dge2oint Technology, based in 2hoenix. 3If we can get them doing
math problems instead of games, theoretically the scores should improve.3
iii
0owever, despite the positive praise and the attributing of improved grades to
computer use, some feel that the IT is not wor!ing fro them. ,manda &ilson, a
ninth;grader at 7ahu!u, said she did better with a traditional textboo!.
Complaining that her grade slipped with the computer program, partly because
the online tests required precise comma placement between answers and partly
because her computer at home is bro!en she said, 3The first trimester I got an ,,
and now I9ve got a C... I don9t li!e computers. I thin! the teacher is a lot better
because you can as! them questions3.
<
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
((()*(u)edu
=onald >itier4s pro"ect 2?,T6 introduced computing to the classroom.
>itier was a 1niversity of Illinois 2rofessor who, in 1()(, began a computer
assisted learning model.
iv
0is revolutionary pro"ect involved several thousand
terminals in the #yracuse area. Through 2?,T6, he employed the practical
applications of computing for use in studying reading and math.
((()atariarchi"es)or*
Time #haring that was first introduced in 1()/ by >ob >emer.
v
>ut in
1(@< Aohn 7emeny and Thomas 7urt, fine tuned and successfully implemented
the concept. Aohn 7emeny was the thirteenth president of =artmouth and he
wor!ed on the :anhattan 2ro"ect. Together, he and Thomas 'ugene, 7urt a
fellow professor at =artmouth, went on invent the programming language,
>,#IC. This language was more flexible in the design of educational software
than its predecessor B6CTC,5 and unli!e C6>,? it was not as business
oriented.
*
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
www.booknoise.net/www.dailycal.org
Burther contributions to the technology arrived via the individualied
learning programs written by #tanford professors 2atric! #uppes and Cichard
,t!inson. ,t!inson was the president of the 1niversity of California from 1(() to
-..<. 1sed first by children in the 2alo ,lto, California area, their programs
encouraged self paced instruction and combined repetition of exercises with
rapid feedbac!. Pearson Education Technologies, formerly Stanfords
Education Program for Gifted Youth and Computer Curriculum Corporation
CCC! is the byproduct of their programs.
www.dicofr.com
#eymour 2apert, a disciple of Aean 2iaget, is a highly respected expert in
the field of artificial intelligence. 0e co;founded the :IT ,rtificial Intelligence
?aboratory and was a consultant to ?'D6 on their :indstorms robotics !its. In
the sixties, IT guru #eymour 2apert developed a computer language, with cute
little turtle graphics, that was designed to be understood by someone as young
as three. The language was called ?6D6. The mar!eting of the personal
computer, in the seventies, brought ?6D6 out of the laboratory and on to the
des!top. Two very popular computers were the ,pple II and the Texas
Instruments TI ((8*. The ?ogo language itself was similar in both versions, but
)
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
the video game hardware of the TI ((8* lent itself to action;oriented pro"ects,
while the ,pple version was best suited to turtle graphics, and language
pro"ects$.
vi

((()ti)com,corp,docs,compan#,histor#,3onsson)shtm%
In 1(E., =allas Texas4 ?amplighter school was home to a pro"ect that placed
). Texas Instruments TI ((8* computers in the classroom. ,t the same time the
5ew For! ,cademy of #ciences and Community #chool =istricts -, < and ( in
5ew For! City launched the Computers in Schools Pro"ect which was
supported by Texas Instruments and :IT. Twelve TI ((8* computers and a few
,pple II4s were placed in six 5ew For! City 2ublic #chools.
The placement of these computers was hardly random. ?amplighter was
and is a private school. Aohn 'ri! Aonsson, a founder of Texas Instruments, was
born in >roo!lyn and died in =allas. 0e was the mayor of =allas from 1(@* to
1(/1, held honorary doctorates from multiple universities in Texas and 5ew For!,
and was 0onorary Chairman of the >oard for the ?amplighter school.
vii
>y the mid 1(E.9s, however, gaming was seen a function of game consoles,
not computersG so computers with video game capabilities dropped off the mar!et
and were replaced by computers using :#=6# instead of ?6D6#. ,pple, which
remember was better suited to both graphics and language pro"ects, remained a
school favorite. #till used today, ?6D6 had a decline and a comebac!. 0arvard
,ssociates developed 2C ?6D6 for =6# and later for &indows.
@
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
http+,,co%%aboratorium)mat)ucsb)edu,e"ents,di*i"ations,di*i"ations)pd$
#tatistics collected by Schools #nline show that in 1((), only ). percent of
public schools had 3instructional3 access to the Internet. Instructional access is
defined as access to the internet in classrooms and labs. Instructional access
does not include access that is "ust for staff email. >y 6ctober 1((E, instructional
access to the internet had risen to E) percent nationally
viii
, but as was the case in
1((), schools in rural areas and those with high minority populations were most
li!ely to lac! access.
Iranian born, venture capitalist, 7amran 'lahian, did a great deal to bring
equity to the distribution of computers in the ,merican classroom. In 1((/ he
launched Pro"ectneat a pro"ect to put 1.@,... classrooms online, in one year, at
a cost of H*..... per class. To facilitate this low cost, #ega #aturn 5et ?in!s
were used instead of traditional 2Cs to lin! to the internet. 'ach school receiving
Pro"ectneat equipment was called a S$%&E %#hared Internet 'xperience+
classroom. 'veryone got on board. #cholastic, Inc., for example, donated
subscriptions to its #cholastic 5etwor! online site. 1nli!e the ?amplighter pro"ect,
preferences were given to rural and disadvantaged schools.
/
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
((()tspence) 1et
=uring 1((/ and 1((E even ,ppalachia got on line. The ,ppalachian Cegional
Commission %,CC+ teamed up with Pro"ectneat to put 1,-). ,ppalachian schools on
line. Through legislation initiated by 2resident &illiam Aefferson Clinton, ARC
received more than five million dollars for development in 1((/ and 1((E. , great
deal of this money was funneled into getting the schools there on line. #till even
with equipment, schools in rural ,ppalachia couldn4t get on line because they didn4t have
I#24s.
6ne innovative teacher Todd #pence, a teacher at :organ Aunior 0igh
#chool in :organ County, 6hio, and a group of 1. colleagues decided that they9d
have to create their own I#2. &ith only H).,... they formed a company called
:organ 5et2lus, Inc. Their company provided service not "ust to the Aunior 0igh
but to all of :organ County.
http+,,((()pointso$%i*ht)or*,a(ards,dpo%,(inner)c$m42(ard1um51121
1rban schools were also gaining access to the new technology. The
6a!land 1nified #chool =istrict, in 6a!land, California has >ruce >uc!elew, a
retired I>: systems engineer, to than! for starting their classroom and ta!e
home computer program in 1((-. &ith the help of volunteer students he founded
the #a'land Technolog( E)change. 6a!land Technical 0igh #chool, my
E
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
almamador, provided space in the basement for >uc!elew to refurbish donated
computers which he then gave to the district. &hen #a'land Technolog(
E)change began it was estimated that only 1)I of urban students had access
to computers at home, compared to E.I of suburban students. The ob"ective is
to improve educational and technological s!ills and !eep students involved and
interested in school, while reducing inequality in education.$
ix
>y wor!ing on the
computers, students earned credits toward a computer of their own. The program
was funded by the 6a!land 1nified #chool =istrict and the :arcus Boster
'ducation Boundation. Today the #a'land Technolog( E)change is !nown as
#T* +EST) The organiation4s accomplishments have been tremendous ,s of
Aune, -..) #T*,+est has refurbished and distributed over 1*,/). computers
and laptops.
((()homeschoo%)com,))),reader.rabbit)*i$
&ho was it that said if you ma!e it they will comeJ$ :en account for /-I
of proprietary software developers and only about 1.)I of free software
developers are women.
x
In the (.4s the mar!et was flooded with edutainment$
software. ,s a former 6a!land resident, I remember my son4s first grade, ta!e
home, computer. #ince we already had an I>: 2# -, I was afraid that we
wouldn4t qualify for a ta!e home computer. 0e had the software C',='C
C,>>IT and more, but the 6ostens software used by the school was highly
coveted. Bortunately, because the school computer used eight inch floppies and
(
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
the software wasn4t available on smaller floppies we qualified. 6ostens was "ust
one of many companies vying for attention. Brom :ay 1 through 6ct. <1, 1((@,
:icrosoft gave their &indows () operating system to any school or higher
education institution in the 1.#. for H1(.().
xi
They accompanied their offer with a
H1 million donation of &indows () software and instructional materials to teacher
training programs nationwide.
((()d3bo7)t#pepad)com
7ids want music and everybody body wants something for nothing. In
1(((, 5apster taught !ids overnight more about the organiation of files and file
sharing than they could have learned in a whole summer at computer camp.
>andwith$ and firewall$ became household words. 5apster was created by an
eighteen year old college drop out, #hawn Banning. 0e combined chat and peer
to peer file sharing into an online service. Through his service users could allow
anything on their hard drive, copyright protected or not, or not to be uploaded to
someone else4s hard drive. 5apster was an international success, but it was
shutdown in -..1 due to lawsuits from the music industry.
1.
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
((()3eb)be
&hy change to &indows when you can get K for freeJ ?aunched in -..-
,pple4s K for Teachers$, was a program that one upped :icrosoft by giving a
free copy of the :ac 6# K version 1..- Aaguar$ to every 7;1- teacher in the
1.#.
xii
The free copy of Aaguar$ was accompanied by free copies of ,pple4s
=igital 0ub applicationsLi:ovieM for digital video editing, i2hotoM for organiing
and sharing digital photos and iTunesM for building a digital audio library.
((()8be%%sembroider#)com,$reebie)htm
In -..* :cDraw;0ill, Cisco #ystems, and 'dge2oint Technology began a
pilot program in 0awaii to test online courses in pre;,lgebra, ,lgebra I and
,lgebra II. The Glo-al .earning &et/or' $a/aii Pilot Pro"ect, as it is called,
made online courses available, free of charge to public and private schools
statewide. In exchange, schools were as!ed to provide data on their use.
11
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
nces)ed)*o"
In -..), ((I of public schools used software that bloc!ed offensive web
addresses from being accessed. #eventy;nine percent required parents to sign
an internet access agreement, and /@I had contracts, detailing a code of
conduct to be adhered to, that the students had to sign before they would be
granted net access. >ecause internet use is voluntary, li!e driver4s education,
most parents and students, who won4t sign other contracts, readily sign the
internet access policies.
Classrooms with internet access went from <I in 1((* to (*I in -..).
5ineteen percent of public schools loaned laptop computers to students. Borty;five
percent of public schools with internet access used wireless connections in -..)
and of those schools, (/ percent used broadband wireless internet connections.
In -..), 1) percent of all public school instructional rooms had wireless internet
connections.
((()$otosearch)com,comp,9!E,9!E112,-:C:0886)3p*
Today, at the end of -..@, IT has come a long way. Computers are a
necessity. :ore homes have computers than dish washers. Those without
access to a personal computer are at a true technological disadvantage. The
1-
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
internet can be accessed via cell phone, pc, or laptop. #;Nideo Connection
enabled televisions can double as monitors. :ultiple operating systems,
including ;ista are now available. :a!ing distance learning available to all,
virtual classrooms allow anyone with a personal computer and access to the
internet to enroll in a course. #tudents in traditional classrooms, as well, enroll
and register in classes via the internet. 'ven a great many universities require
that students own a personal computer and maintain internet access. #tudents
carry laptops to class. Instructors use laptops to display images that would have
previously been shown via pro"ectors, and text boo!s have interactive websites
that are designed to enhance the learning experience. >ecause the technology
has advanced so much in so short a time, it is hard to imagine advances that I.T.
won4t ma!e in the future.
Re$%ection+ 2 9ad Rea%it#
If you4re li!e me you solve mathematical equations in your sleep that you
can4t even remember when you wa!e upG your dreams are in color, li!e movies,
with strangers tal!ing fluently in languages that you can4t understand when you4re
not asleepG you thin! in full sentences and flowing paragraphs, but the thoughts
come too quic!ly to write down or verbally record. If you4re li!e me you need a
wireless, micro, brain wave transmitter and recorder, and brain wave decoding
software. These devices and this software haven4t been created. I am not
proficient in math or science, but if I can thin! it, someone can build it. 1nless
more is done to decrease socioeconomic disparities in the access of educational
information technology %IT+, many imagined inventions will never be developed.
1<
Part 1 1959 - 2007 Cooper
Part 2 White Paper Ramirez
Internet access is a !ey to the equitable distribution of information technology. ,ll
,merican children have access to the internet at school, but many ,merican
children have no access to the internet at home
1*
i
#imon, 0erbert ,, 3=esigning 6rganiations for an Information ;Cich &orld,3 in :artin Dreenberger %'d.+
Computers, Communications, and The 2ublic Interest, >altimore, :=O Aohns 0op!ins 2ress, %1(/1+.
ii
httpO88starbulletin.com8-..*8.@8.E8news8story*.html
iii
httpO88starbulletin.com8-..*8.@8.E8news8story*.html
iv
httpO88www.isbe.state.il.us8earlychi8pdf8little;printsPv-;i1a.pdf
v
Cobert &illiam >emer %Bebruary E, 1(-. L Aune --, -..*+ was a computer scientist best !nown for his wor! at I>: during
the late 1().s and early 1(@.s.
vi
httpO88el.media.mit.edu8?ogo;foundation8logo8index.html
vii
httpO88www.ti.com8corp8docs8company8history8"onsson.shtml
viii
httpO88www.arc.gov8index.doJnodeIdQ1-(.
ix
httpO88www.pointsoflight.org8awards8dpol8winner.cfmJ,ward5umQ11-1
x
httpO88www.misbehaving.net8software8index.html
xi
httpO88www.microsoft.com8presspass8press81((@8apr(@8momprf.mspx
xii
httpO88www.apple.com8pr8library8-..-8oct81/macosx.html ; 1*!
&ib%io*raph#
&a%d(in <red D) =>eachin* and :earnin* ?n%ine)= 2ppa%achia /a*azine 6anuar#
-2pri% 1999 ser) Winter 2006 @http+,,((()arc)*o",
inde7)do4node0d51290A)
=Dai%# Point o$ :i*ht Winner- &ruce &uc'e%e()= Points o$ :i*ht <oundation) Winter
2006 @http+,,((()pointso$%i*ht)or*,a(ards,dpo%,
(inner)c$m42(ard1um51121A)
Esso#an 9usan) =?n%ine math course is ne( teacherBs pet)= -ono%u%u 9tar
&u%%etin C-ono%u%uD E 6une 200F) Winter 2006
@http+,,starbu%%etin)com,200F,06,0E,ne(s,stor#F)htm%A)
0%%inois) 9tate &oard o$ Education) =9cissors *%ue paint)))and a computer)=
:itt%e Prints) &# Ga# -enderson) ;o%ume 2, 0ssue 1) Winter 2006
@http+,,((()isbe)state)i%)us,ear%#chi,pd$,%itt%e-prints."2-i1a)pd$A)
/o%nar 2ndre() =Computers in Education+ 2 &rie$ -istor#)= >he 6ourna% H6une
1997I) Winter 2006 @http+,,the3ourna%)com,artic%es,18789.1A)
9imon -erbert 2 =Desi*nin* ?r*anizations $or an 0n$ormation -Rich Wor%d= in
/artinJreenber*er HEd)IComputers Communications and >he Pub%ic 0nterest &a%timore /D+ 6ohns
-op'ins Press H1971I)
We%%s 6ohn :aurie :e(is and &ernard Jreene) 0nternet 2ccess in !)9)Pub%ic
9choo%s and C%assrooms+ 199FK2005 !)9) Department o$ Education 1CE9
2007-020 H1o") 2006I) 8 Dec) 2006 @http+,,nces)ed)*o",pubs2007,
200702A)
=What is :?J?4= :?J? <oundation) Winter 2006 @http+,,e%)media)mit)edu,
:o*o-$oundation,%o*o,inde7)htm%A)
L-istor# o$ 0nno"ation- <oundersM &io*raphies-6ohn Eri' 6onssonN >e7as 0nstruments
Winter 2006 @http+,,((()ti)com,corp,docs,compan#,histor#,3onsson)shtm%A)
xii
httpO88www.apple.com8pr8library8-..-8oct81/macosx.html ; 1*!
Computers in Education White Paper
This section loo!s at the effects computers have on student performance in the
classroom. #ince the number of computers in schools has increased greatly since the 1(@.s
students in the 1nited #tates have more access to computers today and are affected by the
technological change. Computer literacy has become a must for 1# students today, and we
now see that students have to prove themselves capable of using a computer in order to
graduate from 1.#. high schools. Today, children are introduced to computers even earlier
than high school in order to improve language and writing s!ill as well as increasing their
general !nowledge about the world. 0owever, not every child benefits from computers,
especially those with severe reading and writing problems. Children that come from
disadvantaged bac!grounds also tend to benefit less from computers than those from
privileged environments. In other words, computers in schools have the potential to benefit
some students in certain ways but it cannot erase social inequalities that play an important
part in the success that children will have as students.
-ome computers
In the last twenty years the use of computers has become part of the schools4
curriculum and as a consequence students and teachers4 expectations have changed too. In
1(E@, -)I of high schools %0istory of Computers, pg. <+$ were using 2Cs but these were
mostly used by school administrations to !eep trac! of student data. 0owever, the number of
computers in schools increased as school budgets began to invest part of their funds in
technology. The number of computers at home also increased in the (.s as the cost of
computers decreased, becoming "ust as numerous as televisions in some homes. In this
respect, students have become more independent learners at home and school with the use
of modern computer technology, such as email.
Teachers have begun to assign homewor! that requires a computer or other resources,
such as encyclopedias, that used to be only found at school. In return students are producing
better wor!, especially in their writing assignments, as well as receiving better grades. The
ability to use word ;processing has allowed students to use the computer as a tutor. , study
conducted by Aohn 2. Cuthell in a period of six academic years between 1((* and 1(((, in
the 17, reveals important students4 perspectives on the use of computers while completing
their homewor!. 6ne of the students argued that computers can get you mar!s for
presentation, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure %Cuthell, *)+.$ In fact more than
half of the students interviewed by Cuthell believed that computers helped their grades and
the quality of their wor!. This cross;sectional study, the students were different ages, exposes
the disadvantages that those students without a computer at home or little access to one at
school, are facing as they learn.
:ac' o$ 2ccess to computers
Children benefit from computer educational programs, but they still depend deeply on
their mentors, parents, and teachers to guide learning. &hile students become independent
learners when they use computers, there are those that lac! access to computers and even if
they did have access they would not benefit li!e others. ,s 2aul ,ttewell and Auan >attle
argueG children from poorer homes may not gain as much from using home computing as
more affluent children do %,ttewell R >attle, 1+.$ There are many factors affecting children4s
educational attainment such as family sie, social capital, cultural capital, gender, race,
ethnicity, as well as policy and many other factors. ,frican ,merican and ?atino children
benefit less from the advantages that Caucasian children en"oy when they have computers at
home or school. Dender also plays a factor as girls have been shown to lose *<I of the
advantages that computers have on certain areas of study %,ttewell R >attle, /+. In this
respect, the access to computers can ma!e a difference, but the way in which computers are
used is one of the most influencing factors that can ma!e the difference for the child.
Computers have made it possible for students, parents and teachers to communicate
during after school hours. ,lthough a good communication between parents, students, and
teachers have to exist before the use of computers, new technology has allowed parents to
ta!e a more active role in children4s education. ,s mentioned before, computers correlate with
better grades, but they also correlate with higher math and reading scores. In a study with 1#
eight graders ,ttewell and >attle found that when controlling other factors, children with
access to computers increase math score by1.) to -.) points over the average. 0owever, as
said before parents and teachers have to be involved in their children4s activities at home and
school. #tudents become engaged in educational computing only if their parents$ and
teachers ta!e an active role in selecting software, spending time with the children at the
computer, offering encouragement %,ttewell R >attle, (+$ and helping them figure out
software. Therefore, educational programs do not guarantee educational successG rather it is
a combination of many factors, "ust li!e schools or homes owned computers, that will allow
children to achieve their highest potential.
Computers in schoo%s
,ccording to Charles Coo! there are four approaches to the design of computer
based educational activities %Cole, Cole, R ?ightfoot, *(E+$ that relate to teaching. Computers
can ta!e the form of tutor, pupil, resource, and transformer in the classroom. ,s a tutor
computer the C,I; computer;aided instruction$ approach is used to present the child with
information that has to be learned. &hen it is time to test the child C,I tests the child with
questions offered at the end each lesson, and determines if any learning happened. 6ne of
the advantages that C,I offers is that it can !eep trac! of the exact scores of the child and
identify those problems, especially in mathematics. In this manner, the computer identifies
the users4 cognitive strengths and wea!ness %Cole, Cole, ?ightfoot, *(E+.$ 0owever, the C,I
has not demonstrated the same flexibility and subtlety of a well;qualified human teacher
%Cole, Cole, ?ightfoot, *(E+.$ 6n the other hand, the idea of the computer as pupil allows the
child to explore and become an independent learner.
The idea of the computer as a pupil follows the Aean 2iaget4s theories of development
that have very much influenced the ideas of teaching and learning. 0is theory considers that
children must develop their understanding of the world though active exploration of their
environment %Cole, Cole, ?ightfoot, *(E+.$ 6ne such program is ?6D6, designed by #eymour
2aper at :IT, which allows students and teachers to design their own models. This model
introduces children to algebra with a game where they follow explicit instructions$ and teach
it to a cartoon and program the computer. &hile students become independent learners using
?6D6, they still need a human teacher to guide them through the program.
The third approach considers computers to provide resources to teaching that no other
form of technology can offer. This approach assumes that computers are capable of providing
various !inds of information in abundant amounts. In return, learning is sure to occur and the
child to benefit. 6n the other hand, developmental psychologists argue that these resources
are unli!ely to be used if the school does not have a social system that encourages and
supports children4s initiatives %Cole, Cole, R ?ightfoot, **(+.$ ,s explained at the beginning of
this section, if a school lac!s the social capital computers will not have the same advantages
for the children attending as they will in a healthier setting where their education is supported
by all involved. 6f course, disadvantaged schools have the potential for change to a healthier
and supportive educational system that will allow any !ind of technology to benefit their
children. ,lthough, many argue that technology has the potential to close performance gaps
we will argue that educational performance is culturally bias and computers can only do so
much to erase social inequalities.
Computers have also transformed classroom dynamics, especially in their
relationships with each and their teachers. The use of interactive technology allows schools
as well as regions to wor! together and exchange ideas. These interactions are supposed to
promote small wor!ing groups. Teachers have also found that students are genuinely
interested in wor!ing together when technology is involved. #tudent self;esteem has been
shown to increase in students that are exposed to computers, especially if students find
teacher support when wor!ing and learning with educational software.
Discussion
The history of computers in schools and in homes is rich in the 1nited #tates, and its
importance has been recognied by schools as well as government policy, even though
funding for education in general has decreased. Cegardless of the decreasing federal funds in
education, the number of computers in schools !eeps increasing. Today teachers, parents,
school administrators, and students communicate through various forms, and the computer is
one of many that are changing classrooms. The responses to the effects of computers in the
classroom are mixed, because while some students benefit from computers in the classroom
others do not fair well. #ocial inequalities interfere with the positive effects that educational
computer programs are capable of providing. In this respect, the possible computer
approaches in the classroom will always need human to shape the way in which students will
learn.
&ib%io*raph#
1. ,ttewell 2, >attle A. 0ome computers and school performance. Information #ociety, vol.1),
no.1, Aan.;:arch 1(((, pp. 1;1.. 2ublisherO Taylor R Brancis, 1#,.
-. Cole :., Cole #., ?ightfoot C. The =evelopment of Children. 5ew For!, 5F O &orth
2ublishers, -..).
<. Cuthell, Aohn 2. Nirtual ?earning.17 O ,shgate 2ublishing Company, -..-.
*. 0istory of Computers in 'ducation. -- 5ovember -..@.
Swww.csulb.edu8Tmurdoc!8histofcs.htmlU