Jenny Zou Draft 1

Topic: Our group is researching on screen time as technology has quickly become one of our daily necessities. Definitely, screen time has many pros and cons but we decided to focus more on the positive effects.

Research Question: What are the positive effects technology has on schools in the U.S? [Think about how this question will set you up to make an argument in your essay. It might be that you need to expand this idea. For example, you might want to consider how schools without access to new technology are at a disadvantage and how this impacts students.]

Reference Entry #1: International, S. (n.d.). Effects of technology on classrooms and students. https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html 

Interesting Quotes and Paraphrases of Key Points:

“Experiences in developing the kinds of rich, multimedia products that can be produced with technology, particularly when the design is done collaboratively so that students experience their peers’ reactions to their presentations, appear to support a greater awareness of audience needs and perspectives.” 

I chose this quote because it was a point that I never thought of. When I create presentations, I focus a lot on the aesthetics. For example, I would take 2 whole minutes to find a perfect font for a specific slide or I would bold a certain word to make it stand out.

“Another effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased inclination on the part of students to work cooperatively and to provide peer tutoring. While many of the classrooms we observed assigned technology-based projects to small groups of students, as discussed above, there was also considerable tutoring going on around the use of technology itself. Collaboration is fostered for obvious reasons when students are assigned to work in pairs or small groups for work at a limited number of computers. But even when each student has a computer, teachers note an increased frequency of students helping each other.”

Paraphrase: Teachers have noticed the increasing amount of tutoring online with the use of technology. It provides a more convenient way for students to ask questions and help each other on schoolwork. [This is a good paraphrase of the passage. Nice job.]

Summary of Main Ideas:

The author highlights several positive effects of technology on school. He brings up the active role of students in classrooms. Students become more motivated as they take initiative and improve on their technical skills. With the help of technology, they are able to complete more complex tasks and are open to the internet any time, whether it’s homework help or socializing. Bringing up the topic of aesthetics in projects again from above, the author talks about how teachers are often worried students spend more time on looking for fonts or images rather than focusing on the actual assignment. The author then explains how this isn’t much of a problem as teachers can “limit the number of fonts and the font size”. [Is this a research experiment or is the author just sharing their opinions about technology in the classroom?]

Analysis: I feel like the author brings up several good benefits of technology, especially the aesthetics part and change in roles; which I never thought of. He gives a thorough explanation to each of them but there weren’t many cons that I was expecting. [Your analysis is too short and it’s missing information about how this source will connect to your research question(s).]

Reference Entry #2: How important is technology in education? Benefits, challenges, and impact on students. (2020, June 25).  https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/technology-in-education 

Interesting Quotes and Paraphrases of Key Points:

“Access is an added concern — for example, not every school district has resources to provide students with a laptop, and internet connectivity can be unreliable in homes.”

I chose this quote because lack of resources are a major setback towards making technology accessible for everyone.

“the use of technology to tailor learning plans for each student is possible. Teachers can create lessons based on student interests and strengths. An added benefit is that students can learn at their own pace. When they need to review class material to get a better understanding of essential concepts, students can review videos in the lesson plan. The data generated through these online activities enable teachers to see which students struggled with certain subjects and offer additional assistance and support.”

Paraphrase: Being able to access technology 24/7 gives students a more flexible schedule. Students are able to watch recordings to review class material and get a personalized learning opportunity.

Summary of Main Ideas:

Technology has been a really important factor in education. As Covid-19 swept the U.S, it once again proved the importance of technology for school. Virtual classrooms, recorded meetings and other digital learning tools have fostered student learning. However, there are many challenges that are involved too. “despite growing interest in the use of AR, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technology, less than 10 percent of schools report having these tools in their classrooms, according to Project Tomorrow. Additional concerns include excessive screen time, the effectiveness of teachers using the technology, and worries about technology equity.” [As a general rule, we try to avoid using direct quotes in a summary. Instead, you should use your own words to explain the main ideas and some key details] As Covid came so suddenly, schools weren’t prepared to hand out resources(laptops/hotspots, etc) or make sure students were able to handle online courses. However studies showed how students felt more confident online as information was more accessible. Students are able to collaborate more with each other as communication becomes easier. Not only can teachers answer questions during class, but also provide one-on-one feedback. The author believes it’s important for teachers to familiarize themselves with technology and take advantage of learning opportunities.

Analysis: The author has a strong argument on how educators should take advantage of technology to better support student needs. He also showed both the pros and cons of technology, which I liked. There are many statistics from studies which I can include in my essay. 

I think you are off to a good start with your sources. We’ll need to work on narrowing your focus a little bit so that you are able to write an argumentative essay later in the semester. You should also work on expanding your analysis for each entry.