When we were planning for 1:1 at Bolivar High School, we had numerous community meetings and invited feedback and questions from our stakeholders. One of the questions that was raised went something like this, "How can you be sure student achievement will increase as a result of every kid having a device?"
And that's a very good question, at least on the surface. It would seem reasonable that if a school is going to spend thousands of dollars on devices, there should be a direct correlation, even causation, in the research to demonstrate a positive effect on measurable learning outcomes.
That question comes up again from time to time. Our middle school is now also working toward implementing their own version of 1:1.
The research on the impact of 1:1 programs is mixed. Some studies point to flat achievement or even declining achievement, especially with low-income and minority students. Other studies, like Project Red for instance, have found that schools implementing a 1:1 student-computer ratio along with key implementation factors outperform other schools.
But I'm a bit skeptical of studies on either side of this issue. It is very difficult to isolate any single factor or group of factors to show direct impact on measurable student achievement outcomes. There are so many moving parts in what students learn and to what extent they learn it.
I do believe that technology implemented properly CAN have a positive impact on student achievement. But I would also argue that there are many, many reasons to go digital in schools besides student achievement. And I mean student achievement in the narrowest sense. Everything we do is related to student achievement in my view, but researchers and bureaucrats usually examine this factor through a narrow lens of standardized test results.
Since I believe so strongly in the benefits of technology for students, I asked my PLN for feedback on what they believe are the most important reasons to go digital beyond strictly academic outcomes. I summarize the ideas below, and you can also check out their responses in the Twitter Moment embedded below.
15 Reasons #EdTech is Valuable Beyond Student Achievement
1. Essential to learning in a modern world.
Technology is just as essential to learning in today's world as the school library. To be an effective learner in today's world means you're going to be using digital tools to learn.
2. Encourages lifelong learning.
Our school's motto is Learning for Life. We believe in the importance of developing skills that will translate to life. If we want our students to be lifelong learners, they need to understand the role of technology in that.
3. Connects students and schools with the outside world.
These tweets from Ellen Deem and Kevin Foley summarize it nicely. Technology allows us to bring the world into our school, and take our school into the world.
@deem_ellen @DavidGeurin Technology has taken the world into my small school.It has also brought my small school to the world @TheSTEAMakers— Kevin Foley (@FoleyKev) February 25, 2017
4. Reflects how work gets done outside of schools.
Almost every career, project, or activity will involve technology in some way. Having stronger skills related to technology brings value to most every area of life.
5. Allows for practicing digital citizenship.
How can we expect students to make good decisions and develop into responsible digital creators and consumers if we don't give opportunities for practice in school?
6. Important for teaching digital literacy.
Students need to understand digital literacy as part of overall information literacy. It's not enough to be able to read and write. You need to know how the digitally connected world works.
7. Important for practicing the 4 C's.
If we are serious about teaching communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, technology is a great vehicle to explore those skills.
8. Kids like it.
I love this response from Melinda Miller. If we are serious about kids becoming independent learners, then learning needs to be exciting and fun.
9. Improves communication.@DavidGeurin kids like it!— Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571) February 25, 2017
We gain opportunities to communicate and connect within and outside our school through the use of email, social media, shared documents, etc.
10. Improves student engagement
Technology can play an important role in increasing student engagement and creating more student-centered learning opportunities.
11. Provides an authentic audience for student work outside the school.
Student work shouldn't be destined to finish in a trash can. It can be saved forever and shared with the world using digital tools.
12. Allows new ways to differentiate learning.
Technology is great for meeting individual learning needs.
13. It can personalize learning.
Technology can create opportunities for students to pursue passions, make choices, and have their voice heard.
14. It creates efficiency.
With technology, we can use less paper, save time, and overcome the limitations of when and where we learn.
15. It supports curiosity.
Students have questions. A connected device provides the means to search for answers. Someone made the comment that tech has made us less curious. I don't necessarily think that's true.
Question: What are your thoughts on ways #EdTech impacts learning beyond student achievement? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Also, be sure to check out all the tweets from my PLN in response to this topic. Thanks everyone for contributing!
Beyond Student Achievement
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