Schools
Salisbury Students' Laptops More Accessible but Potential Distraction
Salisbury School District's new Apple laptops offer benefits but are potential distraction, according to a district survey.
The at Salisbury School District middle and high school offer benefits and challenges as teachers, students and parents adapt to the huge increase in access to technology, according to a district survey.
Randy Ziegenfuss, Salisbury's director of data and technology, presented the October 2011 online survey results at the school district's Nov. 7 curriculum and technology meeting. The survey, which asked for the main benefit and challenge of having a laptop computer, was answered by eight parents, 297 students and 75 teachers.
The survey found that, overall:
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* Parents are positive about the increased access their children now have to technology but are generally more concerned about off-task behavior, such as using Skype's chat feature and Facebook on school computers at home.
*are positive about the increased access to technology and the ability to do their work anywhere, but are concerned about the distractions caused by having access to programs like Skype, Photo Booth and games.
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* are positive about the benefits of increased access but concerned about students who become distracted by the technology. Students also shared concerns about blocked Internet sites and the lack of Microsoft Office on the computers.
The district is able to block certain applications and websites on specific computers for students who have "had trouble controlling themselves," or used them inappropriately, Ziegenfuss said. For example, a student who caused problems by bullying others on Facebook no longer has access to that site from the school-owned laptop.
"It's not unusual for computers to be disruptive in schools that use them at this level, and there has to be a period of adjustment while we work it out," Ziegenfuss said. "We're also looking into tasks that lead to richer and deeper learning and push the level of instruction beyond note-taking."
School Director Russell Giordano said he didn't understand why students had access to Facebook during the school day. Students don't have access to the social networking site at school, according to Ziegenfuss, but they can get to it on other networks, such as from home.