Digital MP3 Players In The Classroom: Thoughts From A HighSchool Student

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Alec

Way back in November, I wrote a post regarding my observations on the use of MP3 players in the classroom. Yesterday, I received a comment from a highschool student on this post, and it’s definitely worth replicating here. It reads:

I am a high school student, and right now, the school I am attending is in the process of trying to ban mp3 players at my school. I am highly opposed to this action for several reasons, mainly those reasons listed above, but others as well. I don’t want to seem overly critical of my school because I’m greatful for the education it provides, but my school does seem to have a problem with adapting to the changes of society and it’s youth. Case in point being iPods and other mp3 players in classrooms. The panel in charge of making district policy doesn’t seem to be able to embrace new technology and use it to their advantage. Alec seems to understand that there is a use for music in the class. From personal experience, I know that listening to music can distract me from other distractions. Also, it is much easier for me to concentrate on my work when I can’t hear everyone around me. I can zone in and concentrate. The people at my school opposed to allowing mp3 players in the class constitute the minority at my school. I can’t give exact figures, but i can say that over half the teachers at my school are willing to let students have there music in class. But the others are the ones who yell the loudest and push the hardest. Right now, I am writing a proposal to the school board, asking them to change their views on policy regarding mp3 players and allow teachers to decide whether or not music will be allowed in their classrooms. In my opinion, the decision of whether or not music should be allowed in the class should be left to the teacher. Blanket policies like the one the school board panel is trying to enact only takes away a teachers ability to govern their classroom.

So here’s a student who’s willing to write a post regarding what he believes in, and continues to push for change in his school … change that will benefit his own education. His telling words, “my school does seem to have a problem with adapting to the changes of society and it’s youth” hits the issue dead-on.

Good luck Peter! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the blogosphere, and I know there are many of us that wish you the best of success in your fight. We just wish you didn’t have to.

Computers Alone Can’t Bridge The Digital Gap

Posted on November 2, 2005 by Alec

Here’s an interesting article on an older theme which relays that technology integration throughout society must be focused on much more than simply making the technology available.

Like many countries, it seems that Argentina suffers from a digital divide, especially between cities with ubiquituous access, to rural areas with poor access.

A survey conducted by the software giant Microsoft found that almost eight million people in Argentina, a country of 37 million, regularly surf the Internet and use e-mail, a higher proportion than the majority of Latin American countries. However, the use of this technology is overwhelmingly concentrated in the country’s cities.

And, as the article argues, there is little hope in bridging this gap unless there are individuals who are increasingly literate with new digital and information technologies who can spread this knowledge to the masses. So what is Argentina doing about?

One example …

To ensure the necessary training, the ministry has signed an agreement with the country’s public universities, which will offer courses on classroom use of new information technologies to some 15,000 primary and secondary school teachers.

And another …

There are 1,350 CTCs (Community Technology Centres) throughout the country, which the state has supplied with both computer equipment and training for technical and teaching staff. The host institutions include schools, churches, libraries, fire halls, municipal authorities and NGOs.

And the quote of the day:

In order to bridge this gap, the solution does not lie in the acquisition of equipment, but rather in the assimilation of this tool by the members of the community, since this is the way to ensure that its use will contribute to transforming reality.