Kids & Technology...what's happening in your neighborhood school

This month, we've been covering the fascinating topic (at least for parents) of how technology is being used by our kids and how it is affecting their everyday life. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with some experts in the Edmond Public School system.  Like many of you, I came up through school with dry erase boards--you know, with the squeaky markers--and large-as-a-house computers, so I was curious about how things are now.

Well, I discovered we have moved far beyond squeaky markers and super-sized computer monitors. In fact, it's probably good to take a look at what students have at their fingertips, and how teachers are using it, just so you'll have a way to understand what you're asking when you poise that age-old question to your child: "How was your day?"

Smart Boards (and tablets) are in the house. "We have projectors and Smart Boards in every classroom," says Richard Anderson, Director of Technology for Edmond Public Schools. Although I had seen one of these used in a UCO classroom not too long ago, Anderson explained the technology in a way this Smart Board-challenged gal could understand: "It's similar to a large computer touch screen. There's software designed to use for different classes, and it provides a way for the students to do interactive exercises."

And that's not all. Tablets are being implemented into the curriculum as well. And even though Edmond Public Schools doesn't have a one-to-one ratio for tablets, that's actually seen as a good thing, freeing up funds to purchase even better technology as it becomes available. Because, as we know, it changes fast.

Everything's online. By this, I don't just mean that every campus now has WiFi (because they do), or that your child's grades are at your fingertips (because they are), but that so much support materials are now online. Also, you can manage your child's lunch and library accounts, and even communicate with teachers and administration electronically, helping to de-complicate our very busy lives..

"Technology allows our teachers to assist students outside the classroom," states Stacie Vincent, Instructional Technology Consultant for the school system. She mentioned that teachers can upload videos containing lessons that help students work on challenging projects or even lectures the student may have missed. Also, within the classroom, the teacher can take students places they've never been, like the Great Wall of China, through images and videos available online.

Teachers are taking to it, and students reap the benefits. Kids are at school to learn the subject matter, not technology per se, says Anderson, and that's why teachers are provided professional development to learn how technology can help them teach the curriculum, not distract from it. Vincent adds that things like clickers (or "smart response clickers," which allows students to take interactive classroom quizzes) permits teachers to immediately observe where students are struggling, instead of the time lapse between taking a quiz and grading it. Other resources, like online polling and social media, have educational opportunities as well, and Vincent says Edmond teachers have been finding great apps to help them teach their subject matter.

There are challenges, but the school is tackling them. "Implementing technology is a more gradual process than people think," says Anderson. "Teachers must educate themselves first." So, Edmond Public Schools has a curriculum team that helps with professional development and is always on the lookout for ways teachers have discovered using technology not just to facilitate the education process, but to enhance it.

"This is a great way for the school system to simulate what is going on out in the real world," adds Vincent. At the end of the day, technology gives kids more resources, which is a good thing. "We need to speak their language and keep up with the changes, without sacrificing critical thinking,"

And really, isn't that the challenge for us all?

Stay tuned for more next week, when we talk about the impact of technology on your child's lifestyle!

Kids & Technology...better get on board because the train is chugging

A few weeks ago, I got a tablet for my anniversary. I think it's pretty cool. I mean, I'm faintly aware that it possesses some rather neat capabilities. At least, that's what I've seen from afar.

Why? Because since I got it, my children have kidnapped it.

They play puzzles, matching games, and princess dress-up. They paint, take care of virtual puppies, and help Curious George fire meatballs out of a cannon. My daughter likes to use Word to write the alphabet in crazy fonts, and my son enjoys matching sounds to various animals and vehicles (emphasis on the vehicles).

So that's good, right? I mean, what kind of parenting am I practicing here? The progressive kind? The lazy kind? What?

Well, I'm in the same boat with a lot of other folks. According to a recent study by Common Sense Media, almost 75 percent of U.S. households with kids 8 years of age or younger have access to a computer at home, almost 70 percent have high speed internet, and about 10 percent of homes use ereaders, with the number of those devices and tablets growing. In fact, I would imagine tablets will soon be the norm, and with kids now having access to them in many school systems (including Edmond Public Schools), tablets may become as much a part of our everyday life as the television, computer, and smart phone.

So, parents, I'm going to do some research on your behalf. For the next few weeks, I'm going to get  down to the nitty gritty on the subject of technology and kids, and I hope to help you figure out where you stand on the spectrum of how much is too much.

July 17 - We'll be discussing the  current trends in technology, figuring out what kids have access to these days and how quickly things are changing.

July 24 - I'll relay some great information from the Edmond Public School system on the current state of technology used in the classrooms and what it is doing for your child.

July 31 - Is there a dark side to all this? How about the impact on children's activity levels? Their social interaction? What is out there that will combat the possibly negative aspects of a world gone tech?

So stay tuned. And I'm going to go find that tablet while the kids are otherwise occupied!