Hook: Have you ever looked through your bookbag and found hundreds of pieces of looseleaf paper that are scattered everywhere; a crumpled artwork or a half ripped calculus homework sticking out of your folder? Have you tried to do your history homework that’s due next period in your math class where you wished you had your phone?
Statement of the problem/debate: The lack of school funds makes checking out computer carts a pain in the ass for many teachers. Those who end up without one just give up and try some other day. There are also teachers who even question the use of technology in classrooms. Is it really benefiting students or are they hindering academic progress? Studies showed how there are actually more benefits as to drawbacks from incorporating technology in classrooms.
Thesis Statement: Technology is critical to student performance as it offers a wide range of opportunities and information. Schools are at a disadvantage without access to new technology.
Body Paragraphs
Subargument #1: Has an obvious impact on student grades.
Support 1: “Students with full access to technology scored at least half a standard deviation higher on the NAEP, relative to those without access.” (Blagg & Luetmer, 2020) Study from NAEP showed how the older you get, the bigger the impact it is with/without technology use. It can be shown by the achievement gaps between these two groups of students.
Support 2: “For example, Massachusetts, which posted the highest 8th grade math scores on the 2019 NAEP, also reported the highest percentage of 8th graders with access to the internet and a computer at home (93 percent, tied with New Jersey). However, the small number of 8th graders surveyed in Massachusetts without access to a device and/or the internet at home are, on average, more than 40 months of learning behind their peers with technology.”(Blagg & Luetmer, 2020)
Support 3: Online learning/Covid-19. Keeps students on track and learning even on times where they can’t meet face-to-face with teachers. An example would be during Covid, where we can’t imagine how school will be like without technology. Students might go on for several months or even years without education.
Subargument #2: Development of skills
Support 1: Encourages self-paced learning. Those who need extra help can make time out of classrooms to practice and catch up. Resources are accessible 24/7. Students learn to self-teach in areas where they feel are lacking. (Himmelsbach, 2021)
Support 2: Problem solving skills. “Children need to know how to search, research and frame the question they are really asking, and this is a vital skill that learning technology develops. Learning how to code can help nurture the problem-solving skills that are central to success in formal education and beyond.” (Immerse Education, 2021)
Support 3: “Children who don’t develop technological expertise will be left behind in the digital revolution. They may also miss out on the secondary benefits of learning technology skills, such as building problem-solving and logic skills. It’s been proven that learning new skills also equips children with a developmental mindset, which also improves learning agility (quote research).” (Immerse Education, 2021)
Subargument #3: Offers unlimited resources, opportunities and information.
Support 1: “Help keep both students and teachers organized. They have so much access that I can say ‘Okay let’s look this up’ and you can find it where your book restricts you to just what’s in this book but it’s finding a way to implement it only one needed. ” ( LilPesono11, 2015) Students aren’t only limited to textbook information, but also all the information out there.
Support 2: “Schools can use digital resources in a variety of ways to support teaching and learning. Electronic grade books, digital portfolios, learning games, and real-time feedback on teacher and student performance, are a few ways that technology can be utilized to power learning.” (DOE, n.d)
Support 3: “Online learning has the potential to improve educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning, taking advantage of learning time outside of school hours, reducing the cost of instructional materials, and better utilizing teacher time. These strategies can be particularly useful in rural areas where blended or online learning can help teachers and students in remote areas overcome distance.” (DOE, n.d)
Counterclaim: Technology is hurting students both physically and mentally.
Support 1: Technology serves as a big distraction to students, since it’s so easy to change from tab to tab. It’s too easy to lose students during lectures. (LilPesono11, 2015)
Support 2: Another problem is penmanship. Students are losing the ability to write or read handwritings. (LilPesono11, 2015) A teacher explains how some students weren’t able to read her handwriting on the chalkboard which was normally in scriptive where they had learned when they were young.
Rebuttal: “teachers reported individual students performing better. Self-esteem and motivation were measured and reported to be strong at all sites Student attendance was up, and instances of discipline problems in ACOT classrooms ranged from zero to few.” (Educational Leadership, 1991)This shows the Changes from no technology to after technology was implemented in classrooms. The shift in attitude from teachers also proved the importance of tech on student performance. As long as there is a balance between the use of technology and learning, it can become a powerful learning tool for students.
Conclusion: Technology use in classrooms has never-ending benefits for students. It’s important for schools to implement new technology in lessons as well as for school, in general. However, one major setback is not having enough funding for schools or families who aren’t able to afford them.
Sources
Himmelsbach, V. (2021, January 11). How does technology impact student learning? Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://tophat.com/blog/how-does-technology-impact-student-learning/
Immerse Education. (2021, January 14). Why are technology skills so important to today’s students? Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.immerse.education/articles/why-are-tech-skills-so-important-to-todays-students/
LilPesono11. (2015, February 18). Pros and cons of implementing technology in the classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7mq-HOU62c
Blagg, K., & Luetmer, G. (2020, April 28). Even before the pandemic, students with limited technology access lagged behind their peers. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/even-pandemic-students-limited-technology-access-lagged-behind-their-peers
Use of technology in teaching and learning. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning
Educational Leadership (1991, May). Changes in Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Technology-Rich Classrooms.
Jenny your outline was very well organized. It included most of the important parts in an outline including the thesis statement, supporting arguments, supporting points, and conclusion. It’s nice that you included a counterclaim in your outline, which can make your essay stronger. Also, the evidence used for the supporting details was very relevant and supported the supporting arguments. An improvement that can be made is to use fewer quotes in the actual essay. Also, remember to include at least seven sources in the essay. Overall, the outline was written clearly and supported her thesis very well.