Over the last two years, the Rolla Public Schools District has been implementing technology into the curriculum. Starting with the iPad and laptop carts last year, and the introduction of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and a school Wi-Fi network this year, students have had more access to technology and the internet than ever before. But do these devices really improve our learning experience? Many students seem to think that technology has been ineffective or had negligible effects over the last two years.
“I think the school is trying too hard to integrate technology into the curriculum,” junior Ryan Priesmeyer said. “I think if we use it, it should be in a way that actually helps students, not just as another hoop to jump through.”
It seems at times like instead of using technology to supplement the established curriculum, teachers have been forced to adjust their lesson plans in order to include technology for the sake of not wasting money.
“Teacher’s tried and true lesson plans are shifting to accommodate technology. In one of my classes, we had to use iPads to access MyBigCampus, then use the MyBigCampus word processing program to type a report about a scientist we were assigned to research. There were a lot of technical difficulties, it was hard to type the report, and overall, it had nothing to do with anything else we were studying in class. It kind of felt like a waste of time,”Priesmeyer said.
This doesn’t mean technology is useless; some feel that if used correctly, it can be a very valuable tool.
“Granted, it has come a long way these last two years,” Priesmeyer said.  “But I still think it can be improved. We should find ways to use it effectively, not just force it onto teachers and students.”
However, technology director Brenda Spurgeon argues that the two year period has not been an accurate display of the power of technology.
“I think it’s a tool we should have in our classrooms as we modernize them. We need to meet our kids where they are and have devices accessible,” Spurgeon said. “I don’t think that has been implemented as we have seen it in other schools; I think that it will take a little bit longer [for students] to realize that they can have their equipment, and how it will benefit them in the classroom.”
Part of the problem is the struggle to adapt from traditional paper and pencil lessons to using a device with multiple different applications and possibilities.
“Teachers are receiving a lot of training, and so when they learn how to do things and transform their lesson plan, it can be hard, especially when you get stuck in you old ways and it’s hard to embrace the new ways. I’m always telling them, the kids now are not being taught the same way they were taught, but it takes a little time to get there,” Spurgeon said.
The new technology and policies open many new doors for learning, but because the system is so different, the hesitance of students may be taking away from the impact of the program.
“Instead of printing out a huge packet for kids to read, we can just put it on a device and make it easier to transport and access. Right now, it’s the kids that are more hesitant. Last year, I took a survey asking whether they would want e-books on a device, or a textbook. Textbooks won,” Spurgeon said. “It comes down to putting more accountability on students, and students don’t always want that; they want you to tell them how to do it and to make it easy for them. Now we’re shifting more into the mindset of wanting them to think and problem solve for themselves so they will be more successful down the road.”
Ultimately, the program’s goal is to provide a new and interesting way for students to learn.
“ It’s more of just integrating them into the curriculum, taking away some of the paper activities you used to do and replacing them with technology, which gives the kids more freedom to solve problems, collaborate with each other, and be more creative,” Spurgeon said. “The big question is always ‘How is technology impacting student learning?’ Is it improving testing scores? Is it improving achievement overall? We have a lot of teachers that have tried to get kids to review with resources like Quizlet and Infuze Learning, and test scores have gone up. But we also say not everything is measurable; if your students are more engaged and participating, instead of falling asleep and not paying attention, then you know they are learning better. That’s what our goal is.”
No one can predict what the future holds, but with the rapid advancement of technology and the growing support of the technology initiative, our school experience could be extremely different very soon.
“We hope that there will be a shift from pencil and paper to technology. I’m always pushing for taking more quizzes online, and honestly, it will just take more of me going into classrooms and helping teachers prepare for that. On the surface it may seem easy, but it can be difficult to go in there, set it up exactly how you want behind the scenes. Teachers struggle with finding time to do that and set up their lesson plans. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I hope we can eventually make that transition,” Spurgeon said. “I think it’s exciting. It’s always changing, I don’t there’s a defining benchmark. I’ve been teaching through every stage of technology, and it’s amazing to see what the future brings. “
“We hope that there will be a shift from pencil and paper to technology. I’m always pushing for taking more quizzes online, and honestly, it will just take more of me going into classrooms and helping teachers prepare for that. On the surface it may seem easy, but it can be difficult to go in there, set it up exactly how you want behind the scenes. Teachers struggle with finding time to do that and set up their lesson plans. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I hope we can eventually make that transition,” Spurgeon said. “I think it’s exciting. It’s always changing, I don’t there’s a defining benchmark. I’ve been teaching through every stage of technology, and it’s amazing to see what to see what the future brings.”