Schools
No More Pencils, No More Books: Technology-Driven Education in NJ Schools
A few New Jersey school districts like Lawrence Township are building tomorrow's classrooms today, but for many, 20th century challenges are still the rule
The following story appears today on the NJ Spotlight website.
To the average adult whose middle school experience included filmstrips, mimeographs and chalk dust, the typical day for sixth graders at Lawrence Township Intermediate School may seem like something out of a science fiction movie.
In one class, students write and edit reports together on an Internet site that lets them collaborate from their individual netbooks. In another, they use push-button remotes to answer math questions. Their teacher immediately sees a chart of who got it right and who didn’t. In French class, students video chat with students in another school via the Internet and Skype.
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In some classrooms, technology is transforming education into a process that actively engages students by using new tools and devices -- replacing a teacher-centered model with a student-centered one.
But this 21st century vision is a far cry from reality for many New Jersey school districts: computers used one period a day, or a week, in a class where students learn keyboarding skills or how to make PowerPoint presentations.
