Working Technology for Students

It’s About Time My Students Actually Have Working Technology
The students of today will become the employees of tomorrow. The workplace has grown increasingly sophisticated from a technological perspective, and students must have the capabilities to meet its challenges. Unfortunately, many students from historically disadvantaged groups and backgrounds lack the ability to practice on computers and tablets at home, at least on devices that are the most up-and-coming and likely to be what they will use in a higher education setting and ultimately in the workplace. This is true of the students whom I teach at Eagles Nest Charter School.
Eagles Nest was founded to give a personalized education from historically disadvantaged groups. It is currently classified as a Title One school. I teach first grade there, and while my students are certainly ready and eager to learn, many of them also struggle with a lack of foundation in much of their coursework. They often come from homes where their parents likewise had a shaky academic foundation and struggle to help their children with their homework. Easy access to technology would help teach students how to be more comfortable with technology from an early age and could also teach them how to use technology and the Internet to provide them with the type of assistance that their parents are not always equipped to give. It will give them the foundation to succeed in college, which is the ultimate aim for all students attending Eagles Nest.
My students are primarily from low-income single family homes. Their parents are often working multiple jobs to keep their families afloat and often do not have the resources to provide their children with computer or Internet access at home. Students look to schools and libraries to provide them with such access. That is why providing my school with three new iPads or Chromebooks could be so valuable, in giving students the ability to gain comfort with, experience, and experiment with technology they would not otherwise see. Affluent students often take such technology for granted. My students do not have that luxury.
Currently, I am only provided with a single computer for twenty-three students. This was not adequate to address all of their research and writing needs. The computer also eventually stopped working in the second quarter of the year, further depriving my hardworking students of technological support and the ability to use technology to enhance their educations. Although I have tried to persevere without one, it has been difficult. A tablet computer would be useful because students could more easily share one between themselves. The touch-based technology is also more user-friendly for young children. It is also relatively low-maintenance, unlike a traditional desktop computer.
I am very proud of how far my students have come over the course of the year, given the considerable obstacles they have faced in their lives. I love coming to see them learn every day and their enthusiasm about learning. That is why I am so passionate about ensuring that they have access to tablet computers and the knowledge of how to use them. Technology is such an important tool for learning, and gaining confidence with technology, especially in the present day environment, is an important part of the child’s development.
Of course, technology is not a substitute for regular classroom teaching, and a teacher must support technology with lectures, discussions, and hands-on instruction. But just like a builder cannot build a house without tools, having access to the knowledge and research provided by technology is critical for teachers like myself.