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by K. Frantz  We know what you’re thinking—computers are not cars. But, hear us out . . .
If we were to hop in a car and travel from Boston to Los Angeles without stopping other than to sleep or refuel, the trip would be tiresome and boring. The driver would dread the trip, as would the passengers due to a lack of engagement. All interest in the trip would be gone, with the driver and passengers simply going through the motions of travel, and failing to be impressed by the sights seen along the way. The same concept applies to education. In the past, teachers were limited in their resources, often clocking hours upon hours of extra time, effort, and planning into their lessons—all for the sake of reinforcing concepts and reaching as many students as possible. Nowadays, through the use of technology, teachers have access to easy-to-use tools and resources designed to enhance the learning process, without requiring countless hours of extra work. In hindsight, the Internet is the interstate of the educational world. “Interstate Internet” is nothing more than a name for the metaphorical highway teachers and students use to travel from Kindergarten to Graduation. But its presence in education is nothing short of reliable and necessary, and is a priceless commodity to education as a whole. Referring back to the cross-country road trip analogy, if we were to replace Boston and L.A. with Kindergarten and Graduation, teachers become the drivers, and students become the passengers. Without access to engaging sights meant to invest them in the trip, they, too, become uninterested. Therefore, “Interstate Internet” is a game changer. In 2018, Acer published a twelve-page brochure highlighting 50 different tools designed to inspire students with Chromebooks. These apps and tools serve as the “rest stops” intended to aid and refresh students along their academic journeys. Erin Kohl, Principal of West High School, Oshkosh, WI. says, “Chromebooks help students take ownership of their education. Accessing materials at the level they want each day dials them into the classroom experience, leading to better behavior, and higher grades,” (2018). Acer Chromebooks are, without a doubt, the vehicles driving academic success . . . and their versatility is the key that sparks their engines. If you’re interested in learning more about the different tools and apps available, feel free to check out the K-12 Educators page on our website. Works Cited 50 Tools to Inspire Students with Chromebooks. Acer Inc., 2018. by K. Frantz Years ago, students walked down halls in single-file lines to a small room with gigantic, TV-like devices lined up on rows of desks. Students were handed a flimsy disk resembling a plastic envelope often bigger than the size of their hands. The disk—better known as a Floppy Disk—contained a single educational game of some sort that, when inserted into the disk drive, brought the screen to life. For approximately 30-40 minutes per week, students played computer games designed to aid them as they practiced their ABCs and 123s . . . all while they learned how to use this new technology.
Students today need to take advantage of the positive benefits technology has to offer. Technology:
When learning isn’t confined to a “one-size-fits-all” approach, students are more likely to flourish and become actively engaged in their lessons. Through this engagement, students will build confidence in their academic abilities, leading to improved scores and an increased desire to learn. Technology in the learning environment increases education a thousand-fold. This isn’t due to an inability for educators to do their jobs well, but due to the fact that teachers have access to better tools designed to help students succeed. With technology in the classroom, the sky really is the limit! |
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