The ideal classroom
The recently published results of the NetDay Speak Up survey revealed an interesting model of what students consider the ideal school.
When asked to "describe a new school for students just like you--what would be the No. 1 technology you would need," the leading response from students in every grade was access to personal laptops they could take home.
Sixty-two percent of students in grades 6-12 said a mobile computer is integral to a 21st-century classroom. More than 40 percent of this group said a modern classroom should include cell phones, interactive whiteboards, televisions, digital cameras, video cameras, scanners, and CD/DVD burners.
Also, students expressed a strong desire to learn in a more hands-on way. They said they'd find math more engaging if teachers infused more technology into their lessons. They also said they want to explore science through technology simulations, field trips, and "CSI"-like problem-solving exercises, rather than textbooks.
Links:
eSchool News Staff, For students, eMail already is outdated, May 3, 2006. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/PFshowstory.cfm?ArticleID=6297
Netday "Speak Up" survey results, http://www.dell4k12.com/netday
Netday "Speak Up" survey tool 2005, http://www.netdayspeakup.org/
