ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION

SECTION II

TOTAL TIME-- 2 HOURS

Question 1

(Suggested time-- 40 minutes. This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score).

As technology rapidly advances, more innovative activities are being incorporated in traditional classroom learning. In many instances these technological approaches enhance a student’s learning; however, there is also evidence that illustrates that it has hindered learning. Despite the pros and cons, traditional classrooms are changing to classrooms that utilize various aspects of technology in whatever ways possible.

Carefully read the following 7 sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least 3 of the sources and incorporate into a coherent, well-developed essay that evaluates the impact technology in the classroom has on learning.

Argument should be the focus of your essay.  Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it.  Avoid merely summarizing the sources.  Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.  You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc.  or by using the descriptions in parentheses.

Source A (Richtelnov)

Source B (Jordan)

Source C (Glasbergen)

Source D (Garland)

Source E (Ash)

Source F (21st Century Learning)

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The following is excerpted from an article in the education section of the online New York Times.

There is a widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers being released on Thursday.

Scholars who study the role of media in society say no long-term studies have been done that adequately show how and if student attention span has changed because of the use of digital technology. But there is mounting indirect evidence that constant use of technology can affect behavior, particularly in developing brains, because of heavy stimulation and rapid shifts in attention.

Other teachers said technology was as much a solution as a problem. Dave Mendell, 44, a fourth-grade teacher in Wallingford, Pa., said that educational video games and digital presentations were excellent ways to engage students on their terms. Teachers also said they were using more dynamic and flexible teaching styles.

The surveys also found that many teachers said technology could be a useful educational tool. In the Pew survey, which was done in conjunction with the College Board and the National Writing Project, roughly 75 percent of 2,462 teachers surveyed said that the Internet and search engines had a “mostly positive” impact on student research skills. And they said such tools had made students more self-sufficient researchers.

In interviews, teachers described what might be called a “Wikipedia problem,” in which students have grown so accustomed to getting quick answers with a few keystrokes that they are more likely to give up when an easy answer eludes them. The Pew research found that 76 percent of teachers believed students had been conditioned by the Internet to find quick answers.

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Source A

Richtelnov, Matt. “Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say.” New York

Times. New York Times, 21 Nov 2012. Web. 13 July 2016.

The following is an article from a member station of National Public Radio.

In the near future, classroom textbooks could be stored on a Kindle. As Florida works its way toward the digital transition in classrooms by 2015, a publication is questioning whether the potential health hazards are worth it. Dumping textbooks for technology won’t be a problem for most students, who’ve grown up with cell phones and iPods.

Some adults, however, are having trouble with the change. Three organizations have published a paper titled Facing The Screen Dilemma. These parent and teacher groups say kids have their faces buried in video games too much as it is. They are particularly concerned about the youngest students.

They point to surveys from the Pew Internet and American Life Project and Common Sense Media. Both highlight concerns that constant use of digital technology hampers attention span and the ability to complete difficult tasks. The groups also say excessive screen time is linked to childhood obesity, sleep disturbance, and poor school performance.

Another organization, ProCon.org, takes a balanced approach on its Tablets vs. Textbooks website.

Among the pros:

Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device, plus homework, quizzes, and other files.

E-textbooks on tablets cost on average 50-60% less than print textbooks.

Tablets help to improve student achievement on standardized tests.

E-textbooks can be updated instantly to get new editions or information.

Among the cons:

Handheld technological devices including tablets are associated with a range of health problems.

People who read print text comprehend more, remember more, and learn more than those who read digital text.

Print textbooks cannot crash, freeze, or get hacked.

Tablets are more susceptible to theft than print textbooks.

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Source B

Jordan, Gina. “The Downside of a High-Tech Classroom.” National Public Radio. State

State Impact, 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 July 216.

This cartoon is from Glasbergen.com, a website from the cartoonist Randy Glasbergen the author Nancy Dodd used in her book: The Writer's Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages.

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Source C

Glasbergen, Randy. “Cartoon 8957.” The Graziadio Business Review. Pepperdine

University, June 2011. Web. 13 July 2016.

The grownups who make and debate education policy disagree about a lot of things, but they often take it as a given that kids love technology. And tapping into that love of gadgetry and games is a way to make students “more engaged” in learning, or so many believe.

Interviews with students in the middle-income, rural district of Quakertown, on the outskirts of Philadelphia’s suburbs, suggest that kids’ relationship with technology in school is more complicated than the adults may have imagined.

Yes, most kids jump at any chance to play educational games, search the Internet to research a project, connect with classmates and others online, and even do their homework digitally.

Zach Werner, 14, loves the freedom he has in his cyber courses at Strayer Middle School in Quakertown. “Instead of being textbook based, it’s a more open world,” he said. “It’s not placed right in front of you.”

But many students also saw drawbacks to the increased use of technology in schools. In particular, students worry about the distractions and temptations of “self-paced learning,” something many advocates of digital education have touted as a way to get away from one-size-fits-all education to a more personalized experience.

Jonathan Wulffleff, 15, an eighth grader in Quakertown, is a fan of the cyber courses he’s taking in addition to his face-to-face classes. “If you have issues, you can watch the video again,” he said. “With a class, you only get it once and you have to remember it.”

Still, he said, “I slipped for a little while and was really upset, because last year I did really well.” The reason? “It was distraction related.”

“I decided I could do all my classes at home and get it done faster,” said Maia Costanzo, 14, an honor roll student at Strayer. “It was pretty good, except I didn’t get a lot of my work done.”

The pluses and minuses of cyber learning prompted a heated debate between two high school students, Cheyenne Knight, 18, and Brian Benes, 17. Both spend part of their day completing cyber lessons in a lab at Quakertown Community High School.

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Source D

Garland, Sarah. “Blended Learning: What Students Really Think about Technology in the

Classroom.” The Hechinger Report. Teachers College at Colombia University, 14

May 2014. Web. 13 July 2016.

Widespread efforts to digitize historical documents and collect histories are giving students access to thousands of perspectives faster and more easily than ever before.

And digital tools, such as audio-recorders and video cameras, are making it possible for students to record their own stories and those of their communities, allowing them to play an important part in archiving local history.

"There are lots of voices and a lot of other ways to look at the past" besides a traditional textbook narrative with one perspective, said Kelly Schrum, the director of educational projects for the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Va.

Through funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the center has createdTeachinghistory.org, a website that collects history resources and materials and provides support for K-12 history teachers. The site contains videos, links to resources, and materials that teachers can use in their classrooms.

"We're having this revolutionary process of digitizing materials," said B. Justin Reich, the co-director of EdTechTeacher, the umbrella organization that runs the Boston-based Center for Teaching History with Technology, which aims to help history teachers integrate technology into their classrooms through consultation services and workshops, as well as maintaining a wide range of resources on its website.

Students now have access to thousands of primary sources through online databases, and the Internet is providing a place for them to express their knowledge and insights, he says.

"That's profoundly motivating for students. When kids have an audience, they do better work" said Mr. Reich, who also runs summer professional-development workshops for history teachers about using technology in the classroom.

Glenn Wiebe, a former history teacher, is now a curriculum specialist for ESSDACK, or the Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas, in Hutchinson. Mr. Wiebe works with teachers in Kansas to help them integrate technology effectively into history classrooms.

Libby Dowell, 17, from left, Katherine Hardy, 16, Morgan Prewitt, 17, and Claudia Fonseca, 17, juniors in Advance Placement U.S. History class, collaborate on a federal budget project at Hayfield Secondary. Students are using new technologies to conduct research, contribute to blogs, and present multimedia projects.

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Source E

Ash, Katie. “Digitized Historical Documents Give Students Direct Access to the Past.”

Education Week. Education Week, 13 June 2011. Web. 13 July 2016.

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Source F

“Components of a 21st Century Classroom,” Open Colleges. Integrated Care and Management

Training, Web. 13 July 2016.

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