Journal Six

Journal 6: Making the Connection: This progressive Georgia district has created a robust network to connect teachers, students and parents.

Mitchell, Bailey (May/June 2008). Making the Connection: This progressive Georgia district has created a robust network to connect teachers, students and parents. EDTECH: Focus on K-12, Retrieved July 29, 2008, from http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/issues/may-june-2008/making-the-connection.html

This article discusses a school district in Georgia that has created “a student portal through a Citrix Remote Gateway. This allows students to log in to school projects from home, school or the local coffee shop, and to have access to all the applications they are accustomed to using at school.” (Mitchell, 2008) At this school the students are allowed to bring their own Internet devices, including Blackberries, iPhones, or other wireless Internet devices. Teachers have websites that they post grades, assignments, and other announcements to allowing other teachers, students, and parent’s access. Teachers were also given interactive whiteboards allowing information from lessons to be added to the class websites.

1. Is there a disadvantage to students who have limited Internet access?
I would say that as long as all of the information put on the websites is also available in the lessons or in print copies, students with limited Internet access would probably not be at a disadvantage. Also, as long as nothing is required to be turned in via the Internet, it would probably be fair for all students.

2. Does allowing student’s web tools, like iPhones and Blackberries, distract students from their lessons at school?
It seems to me that if students are allowed to bring their iPhones and Blackberries to school, there would be a lot of non-educational activities happening as well, such as texting and the like. This would be a distraction for most students.