What Do You Prefer? Pencil and Paper or a Tablet?

Times are changing. You take one look in a classroom and you'll see the difference immediately. Gone are the days of row sitting, pop quizzes, and recitations. Gone are the days of student's intently listening to instruction. Gone are the days of positive parental involvement, room mothers planning and putting on class parties,  both parents being involved in conferences and supporting the teacher. You know... the good ole days.

Some things I'm personally glad to see go. Things like giving up your lunch minutes for lunchroom duty or teaching every subject (including PE and art) because the district can't afford special teachers.  The old inclusion model that, in my opinion, hurt everyone involved. I'm glad that sitting in rows and pop quizzes have fallen out of favor. Good-bye and good riddance!

Some things have changed for the better. Some not so much. The current shift (well.. it actually began several years ago) is to move away from paper and pencil. You know ... move into the 21st century. Save trees. Save the environment. Go digital. Go paperless!  I won't get into all the whys, hows, or statistics that prove paperless is better. I'll just stick to my own opinion. Paperless isn't always better.  Pencil and paper have merit. If used properly. Mindless, busy work should be on the way out (it should never have been allowed). Critical thinking exercises should not. In my last year of teaching public school, administration insisted that we go paperless. Everything had to be digital. Except my students begged for something else. Paper. They didn't want all their lessons on the computer. They wanted to see them on paper. So, I compromised and did both. After the first round of conferences where parents and students shared the same opinion- we want to see more paper, I complied and moved away from administrative demands and did what I felt was best for my kids. We used the tablet as a resource, an addition to the lesson, a place to find out information about the class or subject being taught. I used links to helpful articles to enrich my student's learning experience. I used a website to provide them with everything going on in the classroom just in case they needed help outside school hours or if they were absent. Students and parents loved it. Administrators, not so much. They wanted to see more digital and less white. My convictions were strong and so was my research (I found several articles about schools in the Silicon Valley backing off of technology). I expected my students to think for themselves, to search for solutions, to be critical thinkers. All with the combination of paper and technology.

I know that things are constantly changing and the world of education is always at the forefront of change. I know that we live in the digital age,  but I don't want to be replaced by a computer. I want my students to think outside the box (or tablet). I want them to use their minds and not just their fingers. I don't want my kids to come out of my room lacking in social skills, writing or spelling skills, or critical thinking skills because these skills were not taught.  Teachers have to intentionally integrate the importance of these skills into the lesson. Teaching with technology is more difficult because it requires constant vigilance and facilitation. Teachers can't tune out when their students plug in. Everything on the Web is not suitable for the classroom (big surprise), nor is everything pertinent to the lesson.  Teachers aren't the only ones that should be held to a new level of accountability. Students also have to be held more accountable than just flipping open a laptop and doing some online shopping while the teacher is busy with someone else. Administrators have to be accountable and provide real-time tech support that is on top of all the latest technology has to offer. And, this means.. they are staying a few steps ahead of the students.

What will all of this technology lead to? I say that we examine all of the pros and cons and develop a sound plan before jumping on the digital bandwagon.

You decide-
Here are some links on paperless classrooms (pro and con):
Benefits of Technology in the Classroom
10 Reasons Today's Students NEED Technology in the Classroom
Pros and Cons of Technology in Your Classroom
In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores
The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom 
Top 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Education
Pros and Cons of Using Technology in the Elementary Classroom
Tablets vs. Textbooks



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