Photo Credit: BROCK LANDERS
BY RACHEL CALLAHAN
With Students expected to complete assignments using computers and tools such as Black Board and Pinnacle, technology is quickly becoming a more important part of education. However, is it fair to do so when the school doesn’t provide adequate technology? The rate at which technology advances has surpassed the budget of schools and students cannot be expected to pull out smart phones.
The Florida House recently released the 2013-2014 spending plan. Nevertheless, while $674.6 million was set aside for raises and to bump up per-student funding, the house allotted less money for technology than was recommended by the Board of Education. The budget isn’t large enough to get the technology that is now being demanded. Funding for schools comes from property taxes and because of the recession, funding has subsequently gone down considerably in the last few years.
Apart from the limited funds, another problem is how quickly technology becomes “outdated”. A few years after new technology is purchased something better comes out. Not only does this make technology become obsolete fast, it also becomes worn out because of vandalism. Students don’t respect the technology that is available to them and instead of working they destroy the keyboards and deface the screens.
With the rudimentary technology that the school is able to provide it’s no surprise that it doesn’t always function properly. Cooper City High School currently has twelve laptop carts that have been around since 2005. According to Brian Kelly, head of the media center at CCHS, the warranty on these laptops expired in 2010 so when there is a problem with them the school is no longer able to get them fixed.
Nevertheless, schools continue to try and keep up with advanced technology. All the math teachers have been given smart boards in an attempt to keep students engaged. While they are a great tool, some teachers have difficulty with them. Technology is unpredictable and because of this, teachers often spend the whole hour trying to get the smart boards to work properly. Ironically, this push towards technology often ends up hurting more than helping students and teachers.
Because of malfunctioning/outdated technology the school board has suggested a new “bring your own devise law (BYOD). While this has not yet gone into effect, it is still not an adequate solution because not all students have (or are capable of having) a smart phone with internet access.
During the 2012-2013 school year Cooper City High had 568 students on free/reduced lunch and this number continues to rise. Bringing your own device is unfair to those that don’t have access to such technology and puts them at a disadvantage. Students shouldn’t be punished for not owning a smart phone or lacking Internet accesses. Owning technology should not automatically be expected of students regardless of the technology provided by the school.
Lack of sufficient technology is unfair to students and teachers. A balance needs to be found between what the school can provide and what is expected from students. Until then, technology will continue to harm the classroom more than help it.
