Article Critique!
1. Provide the complete article title and author.
The title of the article is "Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump." It was written by Kurt A. Suhr, David A. Hernandez, Douglas Grimes, and Mark Warschauer.
The intended audience for this empirical research article is anyone involved in education. An empirical research article is not based off of anyone’s personal opinion. It is an article found in professional journals, magazines, or newspapers.
3. What is/are the research question/questions or hypothesis/hypotheses?
The purpose of this study was to see if there were any longitudinal changes in English language arts scores with students who were apart of the one-to-one laptop program compared to students who were not in the one-to-one laptop program. The researchers used three specific questions to help them gather the data needed. First, they asked if there were any significant changes in the California Standards Test scores, specifically in the ELA test. Next, they wanted to know if there were any differences in the six subtests used to get those scores. Lastly, they wanted to know if these differences came from the use of the one-to-one laptop program.
4. Describe the subject (participants) and the procedures (methods) used by the researcher(s)?
Research for this study was conducted in the Estrella School District, also known as ESD. ESD is a moderate sized, suburban school district in southern California. The school district houses approximately 14,000 kindergarten through eight grade students. Where the average class size in fourth and fifth grade is about 31 students. The school district has a diverse ethnic, economic, and linguistic background. 47% of the students are Hispanic, 28% white, 20% Asian, and 5% of the students are other/multi-ethnic/unstated. 40% of these students participate in the free and reduced lunch program.
In the fall of 2004, the Estrella School District launched the one-to-one laptop program in four of its schools. The school district chose two middle schools and two elementary schools based off of their economic scale rating. The ESD also did this in hopes it would help when the entire district implemented the program. Title I funds helped finance this program and in lower economic school. Parents primarily funded the program in the higher economic school. At one school all three fourth grade classes participated in the one-to-one laptop program and at another school one third/fourth grade split gifted class participated in the program.
The researchers used a longitudinal measure of change in their study. They used the students' third grade CST scores as the pretest and the students' fifth grade CST scores as the posttest. They used the difference in these two tests to determine if there was any academic achievement. The researchers also surveyed the students and teachers, interviewed teachers, observed classrooms, and obtained artifacts, all to gain insight on how the laptops were used for teaching and learning. The treatment group consisted of 54 students who were given the opportunity to participate in the one-to-one laptop program. The control group was 54 students who did not have the opportunity to participate in the one-to-one laptop program.
5. What were the conclusions of the researchers? Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions? Support your position.
The researchers came to the conclusion that there was a small increase in scores from the treatment group involved in the one-to-one laptop program. The test scores showed that neither group experienced a deceleration in reading skill development in the fourth grade year. However; the control group did experience a deceleration of skill development in the fifth grade. Although, there was a small increase the researchers stated that laptops would not “magically” improve student learning or scores. The researchers did find that the laptops began to have a positive effect on the students after the second year of implementation. It also helped to engage students in their learning.
I agree with the conclusion from the researchers. I do believe that adding laptops in the classroom is a wonderful idea, and I am sure that it does help hold students’ engagement, however; I did not expect it to have dramatic results on test scores. Technology is a tool to boost student learning, but it does not take place of the teacher. Therefore, when technology is used as a tool after the teacher has taught the content, the students are getting additional assistance with a specific standard. The researchers said it all when they said that laptops are not the “magic bullet” to improve student learning.
6. What suggestions for further research do the authors suggest? What other suggestions for future research would you suggest?
The researchers suggested that if this study was continued they would have larger sample sizes with more diverse student demographics. Also, they would use longitudinal evaluations with a wider array of outcome measures. Lastly, the researchers suggested the use of using random assignments to see if there are more positive effects of laptop use. I would suggest that the study should begin even sooner than third grade. The researchers were trying to see if laptops would affect the fourth grade slump, however; when the students where in the fourth grade they were still just learning how to use the laptops. If the students were already comfortable with the laptops we may have seen an even larger increase in the test scores.
In chapter one of Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, the authors tell us about the "big picture" on technology in education. Where I teach, the 1:1 laptop program is not an option for me or my classroom. No one in our school district has been fortunate enough to be apart of that program. However, our text tells us ,"The current role of educational technology is shaped primarily by two factors: available technology resources and our perspectives on how to make use of them" (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p.4). So in my big picture, I will be able to use a laptop, a document camera, and an iPad daily. With the use of these technologies, I hope that I will be able to hold the engagement of my students and teach the content in depth. Overall, we all know that the world is ever changing and technology plays a big role in that. As educators it is our job to take what we have, whether is it the 1:1 laptop program or only 30 minutes in a computer lab, and do the best we can to further our students' educational.
Reference
Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching Fifth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Suhr, K., Hernandez, D., Grimes, D., & Warschauer, M. (2010). Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump . The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(5), 1-45.
1. Provide the complete article title and author.
The title of the article is "Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump." It was written by Kurt A. Suhr, David A. Hernandez, Douglas Grimes, and Mark Warschauer.
The intended audience for this empirical research article is anyone involved in education. An empirical research article is not based off of anyone’s personal opinion. It is an article found in professional journals, magazines, or newspapers.
3. What is/are the research question/questions or hypothesis/hypotheses?
The purpose of this study was to see if there were any longitudinal changes in English language arts scores with students who were apart of the one-to-one laptop program compared to students who were not in the one-to-one laptop program. The researchers used three specific questions to help them gather the data needed. First, they asked if there were any significant changes in the California Standards Test scores, specifically in the ELA test. Next, they wanted to know if there were any differences in the six subtests used to get those scores. Lastly, they wanted to know if these differences came from the use of the one-to-one laptop program.
4. Describe the subject (participants) and the procedures (methods) used by the researcher(s)?
Research for this study was conducted in the Estrella School District, also known as ESD. ESD is a moderate sized, suburban school district in southern California. The school district houses approximately 14,000 kindergarten through eight grade students. Where the average class size in fourth and fifth grade is about 31 students. The school district has a diverse ethnic, economic, and linguistic background. 47% of the students are Hispanic, 28% white, 20% Asian, and 5% of the students are other/multi-ethnic/unstated. 40% of these students participate in the free and reduced lunch program.
In the fall of 2004, the Estrella School District launched the one-to-one laptop program in four of its schools. The school district chose two middle schools and two elementary schools based off of their economic scale rating. The ESD also did this in hopes it would help when the entire district implemented the program. Title I funds helped finance this program and in lower economic school. Parents primarily funded the program in the higher economic school. At one school all three fourth grade classes participated in the one-to-one laptop program and at another school one third/fourth grade split gifted class participated in the program.
The researchers used a longitudinal measure of change in their study. They used the students' third grade CST scores as the pretest and the students' fifth grade CST scores as the posttest. They used the difference in these two tests to determine if there was any academic achievement. The researchers also surveyed the students and teachers, interviewed teachers, observed classrooms, and obtained artifacts, all to gain insight on how the laptops were used for teaching and learning. The treatment group consisted of 54 students who were given the opportunity to participate in the one-to-one laptop program. The control group was 54 students who did not have the opportunity to participate in the one-to-one laptop program.
5. What were the conclusions of the researchers? Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions? Support your position.
The researchers came to the conclusion that there was a small increase in scores from the treatment group involved in the one-to-one laptop program. The test scores showed that neither group experienced a deceleration in reading skill development in the fourth grade year. However; the control group did experience a deceleration of skill development in the fifth grade. Although, there was a small increase the researchers stated that laptops would not “magically” improve student learning or scores. The researchers did find that the laptops began to have a positive effect on the students after the second year of implementation. It also helped to engage students in their learning.
I agree with the conclusion from the researchers. I do believe that adding laptops in the classroom is a wonderful idea, and I am sure that it does help hold students’ engagement, however; I did not expect it to have dramatic results on test scores. Technology is a tool to boost student learning, but it does not take place of the teacher. Therefore, when technology is used as a tool after the teacher has taught the content, the students are getting additional assistance with a specific standard. The researchers said it all when they said that laptops are not the “magic bullet” to improve student learning.
6. What suggestions for further research do the authors suggest? What other suggestions for future research would you suggest?
The researchers suggested that if this study was continued they would have larger sample sizes with more diverse student demographics. Also, they would use longitudinal evaluations with a wider array of outcome measures. Lastly, the researchers suggested the use of using random assignments to see if there are more positive effects of laptop use. I would suggest that the study should begin even sooner than third grade. The researchers were trying to see if laptops would affect the fourth grade slump, however; when the students where in the fourth grade they were still just learning how to use the laptops. If the students were already comfortable with the laptops we may have seen an even larger increase in the test scores.
In chapter one of Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, the authors tell us about the "big picture" on technology in education. Where I teach, the 1:1 laptop program is not an option for me or my classroom. No one in our school district has been fortunate enough to be apart of that program. However, our text tells us ,"The current role of educational technology is shaped primarily by two factors: available technology resources and our perspectives on how to make use of them" (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p.4). So in my big picture, I will be able to use a laptop, a document camera, and an iPad daily. With the use of these technologies, I hope that I will be able to hold the engagement of my students and teach the content in depth. Overall, we all know that the world is ever changing and technology plays a big role in that. As educators it is our job to take what we have, whether is it the 1:1 laptop program or only 30 minutes in a computer lab, and do the best we can to further our students' educational.
Reference
Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching Fifth Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Suhr, K., Hernandez, D., Grimes, D., & Warschauer, M. (2010). Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump . The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(5), 1-45.
The 1:1 laptop initiative seems very beneficial in elementary classrooms! What do you think? #ED505UWARAYLearn more about the 1:1 laptop program HERE!
— Jessica Owens Taylor (@J_Taylor61811) June 18, 2013
Thinking about doing this in your school? Read HERE!
I enjoyed your information, and it is very detailed. The research study informed us that the use of laptops in the classroom is very beneficial in holding students attention and boost their learning. Children today are app to do better automatically when they are interested in the way they are learning. The use of technology catches the attention of most children in this time, they are eager to learn new things using these technological devices.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog presentation. How you talked about how the research provided that adding one-to-one laptop computers to elementary 4th & 5th grade classroom did improve the class academic achievement, and how laptops abled teachers to teach the content in depth creatively with technology (laptop) incorporated.
ReplyDeleteI love that last point you made! It is up to the teacher to make the best of whatever technology they can. The one-to-one laptop initiative sounds like a great program, but is not a great option for most schools financially. But we can always find ways to make the best of any situation we have to ensure our students’ needs are met.
ReplyDelete