Kristi Henry

English 516

May 13, 2003

Beach Access

            My current situation finds me teaching 7^th grade block (language arts and geography) at Beach Middle School in Chelsea, Michigan.  Chelsea, as a community, is fairly well-off financially.  Technology is a priority for its citizens and for its schools.  I am currently typing this on my school-issued laptop that is less than a year old.  I am sitting on my couch and my cat is sleeping on my left arm.  My classroom contains a brand new PC for my students to use and a new HP DeskJet color printer.  There are two different labs of brand new laptops at my disposal.  I am one of Moran’s “haves.”

            Being one of the “haves” doesn’t mean that my students can use computers everyday, nor would I sign up for that.  We have debated and argued and complained and reasoned our way into a sign-up system that works most of the time.  For the walk-in lab of twenty-eight laptops, the sign-up sheet is posted one week in advance and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The sign-up sheet is posted in the lab itself.  It is posted by the Media Center clerk, and she has her favorites.  The rest of us are routinely confounded by the apparent speed with which some teachers are able to access the sign-up sheet.      

For those of us who are not quite quick enough, there are two laptop carts.  Each cart has fourteen laptops and a printer.  All of the laptops are wireless.   We can sign up for one or both laptops at a time.  The sign-up sheet is in the Media Center, and the sign-up sheet is available for the entire school year.  In September, I can sign up for June.  I have done already this year. 

We have two different sign-up procedures because of the different planning styles of our teaching staff.  We in the language arts and social studies departments tend to do our planning months in advance.  For at least the last two years, the 7^th grade block staff has met in the summer and plotted the course of the year.  We knew that we would need to use the computers for two weeks in March and again in May, with many days sprinkled in between.  Our plans revolve around units that fit neatly into the standard marking periods and somehow always end before winter and spring breaks.  We are proud of our perceived superior planning skills, and want to be rewarded by having the ability to sign up to use the computers months in advance so that our plans fit the year as neatly as we would like.  Some of my colleagues would write their lesson plans in actual stone if they felt that would secure their time in the computer lab. 

The math and science departments are the more spontaneous branch of staff.  They don’t plan months in advance, although they do traditionally plot their units in the same sequence every year.  They make outlandish claims, including that their precious weather unit is affected by actual weather.  They were very frustrated by those of us who had signed up three-quarters of the computer lab time by the end of October.  They would complain and whine and beg and bargain with us for some computer time.  To top off everyone’s frustration, the health teachers would come to us with claims of projects required by the state, and we would be forced to change our plans and give up computer time.  But we had planned in advance!  The early bird gets to use the computers as much he wants!  Our use of modified clichés did not win us any points.  So, after much debate and the forming of at least two committees, we have adopted our current sign-up procedures.  We make no claims that the current procedures are flawless, but we shrug and concede that at least it is better than it was.  The new procedure allows more access for the math and science departments.  Progress!?!

The computers that we use are new to us this year.  In our district, we are on a technology-replacement rotation, and this was our year.  Every year, one building gets new computers, and we won’t get new computers again for about another five years. Our district is very committed to technology.  They pay for many of us to take i3 training, which is advanced technology training for seven days.  Next year we are going to start a 6^th grade laptop program as part of the Anytime, Anywhere Learning program.  We have received a grant from the state government to help us purchase the machines needed.  All of our machines are Compaq computers, and we are currently running Windows XP.  This causes problems because many of the students are running previous versions of Windows, and so anything they try to take to and from school on a disk is often lost in the conversion.  We have talked about ‘saving down,’ but that is lost many students. 

Each student and teacher has his or her own account on the network.  Initially, many students have trouble saving to their accounts.  Lots of documents are lost before the kids get it right.  There are shared drives, but for some reason unknown to me at the time, the shared drive that I can access from my account is different from the shared drive that my students can access.  Maybe I’m the one having trouble saving to a specific account. 

I try not to use the computers just for the sake of using computers.  I know of teachers who do.  I sign up for the lab when I know of an activity that requires the technology.  We use the lab for research.  Our school has purchased a few software programs specifically for some of our research projects.  I use the Internet after I show the students how to tell if a website is reputable, and after I have convinced them of the benefits of using a search engine.  I use the computers to brainstorm, to organize, to revise, and to publish.  Next year, I will probably use it for drafting as well.  Many students don’t feel comfortable drafting with the archaic pen and pencil.  Their comfort zone is the keyboard. 

Some teachers take their classes to the lab so that all students can type their final drafts there, print, and turn them all in at the same time.  This practice ensures that all students have equal access to the word processing technology.  I have not used the lab for this yet, but I see the merits in it.  I also see that as a potential waste of lab and class time because ninety-five percent of my students have computers at home.  Some of the wealthier students have their own personal computers, and some students dominate their family’s computer with instant messaging, web surfing, or gaming.  I have one student whose house has its own network, and another whose family’s computers are all wireless.  There are computers located in the Media Center that are available for their use in the morning before school, occasionally during lunch, and during class.  The public library has a few computers available as well, but I am not sure what kind of operating system they are using. 

Most of my students use their computers at home for school projects and for play.  However, this creates problems when those computers break.  They typically break the night before a paper or project is due.  Students will then try to sell me their sob story, bring written excuses from Mom or Dad, or bring me a disk.  The access at home is not at all equal.  I offer my students the opportunity to use the one classroom computer before or after school, and occasionally during lunch.  In my eyes, the best use of the single classroom computer is for students who need to catch up or print.  I have used it as a station in a Round Robin format, but that’s not a common occurrence. 

My district employs four full-time technology professionals.  We have five school buildings and one administration center, so they rotate around the buildings.  Our computer teacher and librarian help out when none of the four tech. support staff are available.  If there’s a problem, I can call and talk to somebody most of the time.  When using the laptops on the carts, I almost always call for help.  Some of the laptops don’t always log into the wireless network, and some of them have been abused by middle schoolers and need servicing.  When we pass out the computers and start working, my blood pressure rises.  We rely on the computers so much that when they don’t work, we are immediately frustrated and angry.  However, the computers are only tools and don’t respond to threats.  That’s when I make the call. 

I can use the computers almost anytime that I want to use them, but still I want more.  I want a bank of classroom computers.  I want to create a writing center in my classroom with a bank of computers as a part of it.  I want to create test reviews and activities on the computer.  I want a projection unit and a Smartboard.  I want to unleash the potential of true ‘computer classroom.’  Moran champions those who do not have access, but I have it and I want more.  Does that make me greedy?  Maybe.  Do I understand that computers help engage my students in learning like no other tool I have used?  Yes.  Do I believe that computers can help my students learn?  Yes.  Do I think computers will help my students become better writers?  Probably, but primarily because of the added engagement that comes with using the shiny new toy and the opportunity to play Solitaire when Mrs. Henry isn’t looking.