Digital Learning

Digital Learning Should computers replace chalkboards in classrooms?

YES! NO! By: Beth Bennett, Canton Hutchinson, Kylie Lewis and Jeff Terry

Table of Contents

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Introduction 3 Solution One: 5 _____________________ Written by Jeff

Is technology in the classroom really a necessity for a higher education, or are there alternatives?

This solution will show financial issues with digital learning, how improving teachers is the best way to improve education, and why there is no rush to adding technology to classrooms.

Solution Two: 8 _____________________ Written by Canton

This solution will discuss the TEACH Act to help with copyright infringement, how technology can actually cut costs in the long run, and give a brief overiew of the National Education Technology Plan.

Solution Three: 11 _____________________ Written by Beth

This solution talks about how a study in Maine, which issued laptops to students, has increased tests scores, other forms of technology that can be used in classrooms besides laptops, and compares ebooks to paperback textbooks.

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Summary 14

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Conclusion 16

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Additional Resources 17

Introduction _____________________

The world has quickly become digital. The younger generations are leading the pack with technology that just may make some other items obsolete. As pre-teens and teenagers routinely turn to digital devices for entertainment and schoolwork, the face of education may change as well.

In the past students toted notebooks (the paper kind), pencils, pens and folders to school. Today, students carry digital devices like computer tablets, notebooks (the electronic kind), smart phones, and other digital devices to the classroom. Furthermore, texting and instant messaging have replaced traditional modes of casual conversation.

Another item that may go the way of the dinosaur is the printed book. Students can now carry an entire library worth of reading material on a slim e-reader device or on the many other evolving tablet-type machines. There may be a day when one no longer browses the aisles of the school library for a book, but only downloads the text instantly when needed. Some textbooks are already offered in digital format, and some school systems and teachers may opt for the convenience of digital devices.

The advantages of digital technology include increased typing and researching skills, as well as many other important skills today’s students need to learn to keep up with the current trends. Data saved on a computer can easily be manipulated into a number of different formats, potentially making it easier to study. Bodies of text can be transformed into charts or pie graphs with many word processing programs. Students can cut and paste important quotes or examples into essays and the like, saving time on homework.

Although the advantages of digital learning seem to be relevant, the disadvantages are just as noticeable. Digital devices may be great learning tools, but they also offer a number of distractions to students. When a student is supposed to be taking notes on a laptop in the classroom, he or she might be downloading music, updating social networking sites, streaming video or checking celebrity gossip.

Classrooms are evolving and so are students. Learning is very different from the way older generations may have learned. The presence of digital technology remains open for debate, which is why it has become the main topic of this issue book.

Should digital technology be integrated in classrooms across the United States and essentially change the way children are educated? Lets find out.

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So what’s the problem?

When it comes to digital learning, many questions result due to uncertainty.

Here are just a few of those questions: Is technology in the classroom a necessity for a higher education?

Are there other possible alternatives for digital learning?

How can technolgy be used for educational advantages?

Would digital learning affect the copyright law?

Would the cost of adding laptops and other forms of technolgy to schools be too expensive?

What goals and plans are there that promote digital learning?

Could digital learning improve our education system?

In what ways can students benefit from technology in the classroom?

Besides laptops, what other forms of technology can be used?

Which is really cheaper: paper textbooks or ebooks?

To answer these questions, three different solutions will be presented. Each solution gives additional insight to the positive and negative sides of digital learning and adding technology to classrooms.

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Solution One _____________________

Is digital learning a necessity?

Education is one of the most important tools we give to the youth of our country. The ways in which children are taught in America’s classrooms will transform them to possibly become our future leaders. Education is a controversial subject and opinions on what is most effective vary. In today’s world there is an endless amount of new technologies that mainstream our everyday life. Think about the types of technology we use on a daily basis: smart phones, tablets, electronic book devices, advanced notebooks and software, 3-D televisions, or any other high advanced technology. The world we live today is evolving more and more like the cartoon “The Jetsons.” As technology surrounds us, children have become more inept to use the same types of technology that adults do. How often have you seen kids using an I-pad or smart phone? Or have a child show you something on YouTube?

As life becomes more technologically advanced it becomes inevitable that children will also grasp and use these same tools. The question is: is technology in the classroom a necessity for a higher education?

Financial struggles

With the way our economy is today there may not be a way to financially create such systems to improve teachers or upgrade classrooms in America. According to Whitehouse.gov, nearly 300,000 educator jobs have been lost since 2008, so realistically there might not be anything school districts can do to improve education at the moment. Perhaps the first thing school districts would try and do is to create more jobs for our educators who lost their jobs.

When so many teachers have lost jobs, why would there be any talk of increasing education budgets? If there was a way to create money for either creating a system to better teachers or upgrade technology in classrooms, the money should definitely go to bettering teachers.

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Teachers are what make education great

As mentioned before, the most important thing in education is stimulating and molding the student’s minds. This objective can be achieved without having the cost of upgrading technology in every classroom in America. Kentaro Toyama, writer from the Educational Technology Debate, wrote, “There are no technology shortcuts to good education. For primary and secondary schools that are underperforming or limited in resources, efforts to improve education should focus almost exclusively on better teachers and stronger administrations.”

Kentaro Toyama reminds us that good teachers are the best investment America can make in molding the minds of students: “Without good teachers, education fails; with good teachers, education succeeds.

Technology is largely irrelevant to this equation. As evidence, we only need to consider world-class school systems that consistently churn out high-performing students. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is the OECD’s latest instrument to measure student performance across countries. 15-year olds are assessed on their reading, math, and science abilities, and the test attempts to measure not just rote learning but some degree of deeper comprehension and critical thinking ability.

Finland is among the countries that routinely perform at the top on PISA, and it is renowned for its low-tech, high-touch approach that emphasizes educational basics and relatively few hours of school or homework. There are also school systems like that of South Korea that use a lot of technology and also do well, but analysis of PISA results fails to show any meaningful correlation between technology use and student performance.”

Did You Know?

On February 1st, 2012, 39 states, 18,600 teachers, and nearly 2 million students participated in the first-ever national Digital Learning Day. The Alliance for Excellent Education hosted a live National Town Hall featuring FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a special joint appearance. The event profiled great teachers who use technology effectively to deliver instruction and focused on education innovation projects happening across the country.

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The best way to better education in schools is to better the educator. If schools were able to create a system where they could justly evaluate teachers on how their students perform and then based on their results school districts could deal with the situation how it wanted. They could have teaching seminars to strengthen a teacher’s weakness. They could reprimand teachers for poor performance or they could reward them. There could be awards for the top performing teachers, a pay increase of so many years of having students be in a certain percentile, or incentives such as trips. The idea of upgrading technology in the classroom is there because we want to better the education system, but a bad teacher will still be a bad teacher with advanced technology.

Can you imagine letting children be responsible for any tablets, ebooks, or laptops that would replace textbooks? None of us want to imagine the repair or replacement bills that would come from issuing tablet replacements. These technologies students would only be able to be used in school and textbooks could be accessed via internet at home. This could create situations where students physically may not be able to access their textbook for homework or learning. There are families that have a handful of kids with not enough computers for everyone. Then there could be situations where students may not have be able access to the internet especially in poverty stricken homes. This situation could alienate an entire social class and could hinder students receiving the education they need to escape such situations.

Other alternatives for digital learning

There are so many other technological advances that could be implemented into the classroom besides laptops, tablets, smart boards, LCD projectors and other advances. These types of tools could and can enhance teacher’s lessons and makes teaching easier. Technology can enhance a good teacher. These types of technologies can be implemented with the way schools already bring in technology. Even with the economy schools districts have budgets where they are able to slowly upgrade technology. In high schools ten years ago, there was not Internet access for students. Today there are as many as “95% of schools that are connected to the Internet; even at the level of the individual classroom, connection is nearly as universal— close to 75% of classrooms in the United States have Internet access,” according to the Washington, DC: CEO Forum on Education and Technology. Technology will be updated in classrooms. There just is not urgency to upgrade it right now.

With any change, the students are those for whom we should consider most. A great teacher, no matter what her tools, will change lives and mold minds of students.

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Solution Two _____________________

Digital learning is the way of the future. However, many barriers stand in the way of it becoming fully implemented into the public school system nationally. Digital learning can become the main stream of education if these problems can reach solutions.

The world that we live in is constantly changing. Technology is so widespread that even the most primitive and solitary people have access to it. This in turn affects everything that we do in our daily lives. Technology is a tool that can be used for good. When technology is used properly and efficiently, its potential is limitless. Society needs to see the great benefits that come from digital learning and then take the proper steps towards a digital learning era in the public and private school systems. Technology is now being introduced into schools and we see many positive outcomes that come from digital learning. However, some of the bugs still need to be worked out.

Copyright issue

One of the major problems that digital learning faces is copyright infringement. The spreading and sharing of certain material on the Internet is prohibited. This hinders the ability to access some information on the Internet and limits the ability to access important information for education. The government has passed previous laws to address this issue, but copyright laws have changed as well as technology, so new laws need to be put into place. Copyright laws hinder the teacher’s ability to share educational resources and provide a higher level of learning for his or her students. In the copyright act the government passed a law that allowed the sharing of information in a nonprofit educational institution where a teacher taught their students face-to-face. This law was passed back in 1976. The law only allows information to be shared inside the classroom of an educational institution. However, the classroom has now become digital and now information is being shared outside the walls of the classroom. The past laws were set in place for traditional classroom settings. However, the classroom is no longer traditional.

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Fortunately this law has been updated and digital learning has taken leaps and bounds because of it. In 2002 the Bush Administration passed the TEACH Act. The TEACH Act covers what is permissible with regards to distance education. This new act applies to nonprofit educational institutions and brings many benefits. The TEACH Act made copyright laws regarding distance learning closer to the laws provided for face-to-face classrooms which is a huge step for the development of digital learning. The many benefits that come from the TEACH Act include teachers can use a wider range of works in distance range environment, students may participate in distance learning sessions in virtually any location, and participants enjoy greater latitude when it comes to storing, copying, and digitizing data.

The United States Congress has implemented laws that have helped forward the progression of digital learning throughout the nation. These laws are not perfect. More improvements need to be made as technology and digital learning continues to advance into the future. However, these laws have helped education harness the benefits that modern day technology provides. Because of this, digital learning has provided a higher level of education for those that have implemented it.

Technology cuts costs? Yes!

Another problem that the schools face is the cost to install the technology and software into the schools. The initial costs of bringing in the technology and installing it would be expensive. However, overall the school districts would save more money in the long run. Many schools have a hard time purchasing the technology in the first place and don’t see the savings that digital learning would provide. The costs of teachers overall costs more than the initial instillation and updating of technology. Also the average cost of per-pupil is $10,000 for traditional schooling. With digital learning, it will bring costs down to $8,900 for bringing in technology into a traditional learning environment and $6,400 into a fully virtual environment according to the Governing Newsletter. Digital learning cuts costs and is a more efficient way to educate.

Did You Know?

The U.S. Department of Education introduced the National Education Technology Plan on March 5, 2010. This plan highlights the necessity of applying the latest technologies to all aspects of learning by promoting the use of cutting-edge technology to make learning accessible around the clock, which means that someday, every kid and adult will be able to learn anything, anywhere, at anytime.

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Moving towards the future

The Obama Administration has set goals for primary education and with digital learning these goals can be met. The government introduced “The National Education Technology Plan.� This plan points to the importance of technology and digital learning in meeting national, state, and district education goals and set forth specific recommendations on how to transform the U.S. education system. In order for schools to benefit from technology in classrooms, the state and federal government need to work closely with school districts.

Model of the National Education Technology Plan

Digital learning is on its way towards overcoming the many obstacles it faces.

There is no doubt that digital learning is the way of the future. All major changes in society face challenges to overcome and with every school that adopts digital learning the nation takes one more step towards providing a better education for the next generation.

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Solution Three _____________________

Today’s students are digital natives. No matter what way you look at it, technology is the way of the future. Today’s children, teens and young adults have become engrossed in a culture dependent upon digital systems for almost every facet of their lives. It would appear that this ‘Internet’ is here to stay. In order to compete socially and economically with the powerhouses of the world, the builders of our future need to be technologically savvy to give our nation a fighting chance.

Our own nation is requiring more technical knowledge of its workforce than ever before. For example, in the medical field, hospitals and clinics are being required by the federal government to go paperless and implement Electronic Health Records (EHR) into their businesses. There is such a push to do this that the government is offering incentives of up to $44,000.00 to facilities that exhibit ‘meaningful use’ of their EHR.

Due to these facts, a possible solution for digital learning is to implement the proper technology into classrooms. By slowly adding certain types of technology that fit well in classrooms, students will be able to get the hands-on experience they need in order to become better educated. Though this education, students will be better prepared for their futures.

The case in Maine

In 2001, Governor Angus King implemented a plan to introduce technology into the classroom of students in Maine. His plan was to give each seventh grade student a laptop to assist in his or her education. Since laptops hit classrooms, delegates from Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Israel, Peru, Australia and Ireland have visited Maine to review the benefits that a similar program may bring to their schools.

When the program was introduced more than a decade ago, Maine schools were struggling academically. Approximately 50% of Freeport Middle School’s eighth grade class of 2001-02 was able to pass basic math tests, while the class of 2009-10 increased that passing rate to 91%. Scores on writing tests have increased while the need for freshman remedial math and decreased, as well.

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Governor King’s plan was to put a laptop for every student in 7th and 8th grade and provide a laptop for every teacher in grades 7-12. The funding for this comes from taxpayers, totaling approximately $11 million annually. In addition, 60% of high school students are provided with laptops through the Maine Department of Education, totaling $7 million, which is allocated from the state’s property taxpayers.

In the long run, these students are able to become better educated, preparing them for better jobs down the road. With these students having better jobs, they are able to have higher household incomes than they would have otherwise. While $18 million annually may sound steep, it is easy to view it as a wise investment for the future of the state of Maine.

Maine’s teachers have noticed other differences in the production of assignments as well. Before the laptop initiative, students whose parents had extra income to go toward school projects had better opportunities from those from less affluent homes.

The laptops have leveled the playing field for students, allowing students of various financial backgrounds to produce the same quality of work. The American spirit is embodied through this program.

The technological possibilities are endless

Today’s technology isn’t limited to laptops, however. Megan Bevans, an English teacher at North Fremont Junior High School, participates on her school’s Technology Initiative Board.

NFJHS has seen the benefits of programs like PowerSchool, which assigns each student a username and password to allow the student and their parents to be able to see their student’s grade at any time. Bevans classroom is one of a small handful that is beginning to implement technology into their daily curriculum. Due to a lack of funding, her school only provides her with supplies such as a laptop and projector, texting devices and writing pads.

Did You Know?

In the address to the congress on February 24, 2009, President Obama announced that, “By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” This prediction has been made possible through the recent developments that have been found and created through digital technology.

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Even with these few supplies, her class has become more engaged and has begun to understand concepts more quickly than before, while allowing the teachers an opportunity to monitor students like never before. The board has discovered that each of the devices are useful, but not in every classroom. For example, the practical use of the writing pad can be great in a Science class, but utterly useless in an English class. Not every supply is necessary for every classroom.

When discussing the laptop initiative in Maine, Bevans explains, “If the funding was there to support a laptop for every kid, I would be supportive of it. I allow kids to use iPads in class if they have their own that their parents paid for, and it is apparent that they’re picking up on things faster than the others.� The use of an iPad in subjects such as Science allows the students to better understand complex concepts, due to its interactive properties. Yet when her classroom currently struggles to supply the students with their basic needs without proper funding, technology is impossible. With proper funding from the government, schools will be able to have access to technology. Students will be able to keep up with our ever-changing times and gain the education of today.

Digital learning must be viewed as the investment that it is. The cost of ebooks can be as low as 40% of the cost of the hard copy versions. Programs like Google Books allow for note taking and highlighting in ebooks. These books can be read on the very laptops that the schools can provide for the students. In the long run, these investments will be financially wise, while creating a better tomorrow for the youth of America.

Source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/07/ amazon-more-e-books-than-hardcovers/

In conclusion, digital learning can benefit students and help them become more prepared for their futures. The different types of technology that can be added to classrooms will not cost nearly as much as it seems it would. Although many may disagree with this solution, hopefully all can agree on this one thing that can be made possible through technology: a price tag cannot be put on giving our students the best education possible.

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Summary _____________________

Three different solutions with varying opinions about digital learning have been presented. The problems and questions that have arised about adding technology to classrooms may not be able to be solved in the very near future, but hopefully solutions that we all can agree on can be created.

Here are summaries of the three different solutions found in this issue book:

Solution One: ___________________ - According to Whitehouse.gov, nearly 300,000 educator jobs have been lost since 2008, so realistically there might not be anything school districts can do to improve education at the moment.

-The most important thing in education is stimulating and molding the student’s minds. This objective can be achieved without having to pay for the upgrade in every classroom in America with advanced technology.

-The best way to better education in schools is to better the educator; a bad teacher will still be a bad teacher with advanced technology.

-Slowly implementing technology that the economy can afford is what is best for this economy.

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Solution Two: ___________________ -To fix the problem of copyright infringement, the Bush Administration passed the TEACH Act.

-The initial costs of bringing in the technology and installing it would be expensive.

However, overall the school districts would save more money in the long run.

-The average cost of per-pupil is 10,000 for traditional schooling. With digital learning, it will bring costs down to 8,900 for bringing in technology into a traditional learning environment and 6,400 into a fully virtual environment according to the Governing Newsletter.

-The Obama Administration introduced “The National Education Technology Plan,” which points to the importance of technology and digital learning in meeting national, state, and district education goals and set forth specific recommendations on how to transform the U.S. education system.

Solution Three: ___________________ -Govenor King’s implementing laptops to the students of Maine have not only shown increased test scores, but have allowed students to become better educated and be prepared for their futures.

-Technology isn’t limited to laptops. Teachers can use digital writing pads, smart projectors, and programs like PowerSchool to educate their students.

-The cost of ebooks can be as low as 40% of the cost of the hard copy versions. Programs like Google Books allow for note taking and highlighting in ebooks. These books can be read on the very laptops that the schools can provide for the students. In the long run, these investments will be financially wise, while creating a better tomorrow for the youth of America.

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Conclusion _____________________

Changes are part of everyday life. Sooner or later, technology will be added to our classrooms, allowing students to become more familiar with digital learning. When and how our education system decides to integrate that technology isn’t up to us, but we can still voice our opinions about what we feel is best. We need to keep in mind that our own children are the ones who will be affected by this change. Our hope is that we can all work together and decide on the best possible solutions dealing with digital learning for our children’s sake.

We Are The Future!

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Additional ReSources _____________________

For more information on digital learning and adding technology to classrooms, please refer to the appendix and feel free to visit these sites:

Center for Digital Education Website: http://www.centerdigitaled.com/ The Center for Digital Education is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy and funding.

Digital Learning Day Website: http://www.digitallearningday.org This site has details on everything dealing with Digital Learning Day. Find out what plans are being made for next year’s 2nd Digital Learning Day and how you can get involved.

Digital Learning Environments Website: http://www.guide2digitallearning.com/ Interested in how digital learning is being used in classrooms today? Here is where you can learn about different types of technology to aid in educating students.

Digital Learning NOW! Website: http://digitallearningnow.com/ Digital Learning Now! is a national campaign to advance policies that will create a high quality digital learning environment to better prepare students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in college and careers.

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National Center for Education Statistics Website: http://nces.ed.gov/ The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

National Education Technology Plan 2010 Website: http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010 This is the main site for information on the National Education Technology Plan.

Office of Educational Technology Website: http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/ The Office of Educational Technology (OET), in the Office of the Secretary, provides leadership for transforming education through the power of technology.

Teachability Website: http://www.teachability.com/index.jspa Are you currently a teacher or planning on being one? Teachability is a place where teachers get advice and share the things that inspire them. Check out what the different opinions are about digital learning in classrooms from teachers.

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Appendix

_____________________ Selection of issue 22 _____________________ _____________________ Team member tasks 23 Strategic research 24 _____________________ _____________________ Personal reflection 28

About Us 20

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About us _____________________ Kylie Hello! My name is Kylie Lewis and I am from a small town in Washington known as Ephrata. I am a senior at BYU-Idaho majoring in Communications.

I graduate in July and can’t wait! When I’m not busy doing homework, I love to blog, bake, take photos, and play with my two cute nephews.

Jeff My name is Jeff Terry. I was born in Southern California and when I was young my family moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

I am the fourth of five children and had a very wonderful childhood. I am married to an amazing wife and have been married for two years. I speak Spanish fluently and lived in Ecuador for two years. I will graduate from BYU-Idaho this July and plan to go into marketing.

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Canton Hi my name is Canton Hutchison. I grew up in beautiful Las Vegas Nevada and I am a junior at BYU-Idaho. In my free time I love to play all kinds of sports with my brothers. I also enjoy singing and playing the ukulele.

Beth My name is Elizabeth Bennett, and I currently reside in Anchorage, Alaska. In December 2010 I married my husband, Troy, in the Mesa, Arizona temple. We met in Rexburg, and decided that it would be great to spend our first few years of marriage far from family. We decided Alaska would be far enough, and committed to stay here for 3 years.

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Selection of issue _____________________ Kylie I brought up the topic of “Digital Learning” to my group. I have always been interested in education and I knew that digital learning was a debatable topic that would be good to discuss. The other members of my group thought so too, and together we all agreed on discussing the pros and cons to bringing technology into classrooms.

Jeff We selected this issue because this was the one we did for our other group project and was a topic we felt at least some interest. Kylie has been a huge factor in a lot of decisions and an amazing team member who has helped us accomplish what we needed to.

Canton I was glad that our group chose to research and discuss about digital learning because it is the way of the future and has a big impact on our lives. This time in history is a crucial transition period where we are moving from the chalkboard to the laptop and it is very exciting.

Beth

When the suggestion of “Digital Learning” was brought up by Kylie to our group, it seemed like it was a logical decision. As students who are learning online, we are each personally affected by it.

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Team member tasks _____________________ Kylie For our issue book, I was the leader and editor. I created the design and layout of the book for each of the writers to place their individual sections into. I also edited each of the writer’s individual parts so they flowed well together. I helped write some parts of the book, such as the “Did You Know?� facts, some of the introduction, and summary. I also would email my group reminders about what assignments were due so they would remember to turn them in before deadlines. I tried to communicate as much as I could with my group through emailing.

Jeff

I am writer #1 and have done all the assignments that have been assigned, such as research, the outline, finding sources, the background, conducting an interview, etc.

Canton As writer #2, my role was to find the source of the problem and then research the proposed solution to the problem. I found many problems that keep digital learning from being fully implemented into society and there are many solutions that can be used to fix these problems.

I chose to interview Holly Henderson a 6th grade teacher who is using digital learning in her classroom.

Beth As writer #3, I researched the laptop initiative which began in Maine in 2001, and expanded on that solution. Through the development of personal opinions as well as researching to support or evolve these thoughts, I was able to educate myself on this topic. In addition, I researched the ramifications of the problem if it goes on unaddressed in the future.

I chose to interview a Junior High teacher who is a member of the Technology Initiative Board at her school.

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Strategic research _____________________ Kylie Here are the sources I used for the “Did you Know?” facts that will be found in the book: Digital Learning Day. Web. Feb.-Mar. 2012. <http://www.digitallearningday.org/>.

“National Education Technology Plan 2010.” U.S. Department of Education. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010>.

Jeff I tried to focus on the history of technology in the classroom and both the negative and positive sides of the issue. I tried to understand why implementing technology would be difficult and how implementing technology would be beneficial.

Sources: Cited.org. Technology Implementation in Schools: Key Factors to Consider, 2008. Web. 10 Mar. 2012 < http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=187> Educase: Learning Initiative. “Successful Learning”. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.educause. edu/ELI/LearningPrinciplesandPractices/SuccessfulLearning/6796> Edutopia Staff. “Why Do We Need Technology Integration?” Edutopia. 5 Nov. 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-importance> Education Week. “Technology in Education”, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www. edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/> Jilani, Zaid. “If Banks Paid Their Full Taxes, We Could Rehire All 132,000 Teachers Laid Off During The Recession — Twice”. Think Progress, 07 March 2011. 22 March 2012. <http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/07/149170/if-banks-paid-taxes/>

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Jeff Continued Kentaro,Toyama. “There Are No Technology Shortcuts to Good Education.” Education Technology Debate. January 2011. Web. 10 March 2012.< edutechdebate.org/ict-in-schools/thereare-no-technology-shortcuts-to-good-education/> National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Fast Facts, 2011. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=84> National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the Department of Education. Teacher’s Jobs at Risk. Oct. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/teacher_jobs_at_risk_report. pdf> Perry,Bruce and More, Kimberly. “Using Technology in Early Child Classroom.” Teacher Scholastic. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/using_technology.htm> Utech, Jeff. “Evaluating Teaching Use in the Classroom.” 23 Jan. 2008. The Thinking Stick.

Web. 10 Mar. 2012

canton I focused my research on the problems that digital learning faces, the solutions that can be brought about to encourage rapid implementation, and also facts and statistics that relate to digital learning.

Sources: Davidson, Cathy N., Goldberg, David Theo “The Future of Thinking, Learning Institutions in a Digital Age.” Web. Fisher, Williams “ The Digital Learning Challenge: Obstacles to Educational Uses of Copyrighted Material in the Digital Age.” Web. August 9, 2006 Horn, Michael “How Digital Learning Will Liberate Teachers” Web. August 9, 2011

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canton Continued “Issues in Digital Technology in Education/Blended Learning.” Web. July 11, 2009 Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher “Education 2.0: Can Digital Learning Day begin a classroom revolution?” Web. February 1, 2012 Prensky, Marc “The 21st-Century Digital Learner” Web. May, 22, 2008 Wolf, Mary Ann “ Digital Learning and Technology.” Web. Policy Brief. July 2011 Scott, Dylan “Can States and School Districts Cut Costs Through Digital Learning?” Web. Jan 17, 2012

Beth I chose to focus my research on the success of digital learning in the State of Maine, combined with the financial, educational and environmental benefits of veering away from the status quo.

Sources: Bonnie Washuk. “10 Years After Laptops Come to Maine Schools, Educators Say Technology Levels Playing Field for Students.” Sun Journal. March 20, 2011. www.sunjournal. com/state/story/988012 March 19, 2012.

“Break down the bill: College expenses to consider” College Board. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/482.html March 6, 2012 “Ebooks vs. paper books” eco-libris. http://www.ecolibris.net/ebooks.asp March 6, 2012 Eric Wahlgren. “Healthcare System: Feds Push New Paperless Effort” Daily Finance. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/17/health-care-system-feds-push-new-paperlesseffort/ March 6, 2012

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Beth Continued Linda Stein. “North Penn Students Could Receive e-textbooks to cut costs” The Reporter Online. http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20120213/NEWS01/120219871/north-penn-students-could-receive-e-textbooks-to-cut-costs March 6, 2012 Sean Scarpiello. “Ebooks vs. Textbooks.” Straube Foundation. August 10, 2011. http://straube. blogspot.com/2011/08/ebooks-vs-textbooks.html March 6, 2012 “The Future of Education: Textbooks vs. eBooks.” bookhitch.com. August 2009. http://owl. english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ March 6, 2012.

“Traditional Textbooks vs. eTextbooks – Which Is Right For You?” Grossmont Bookstore. http://www.grossmont.edu/library/eTextbooks.pdf March 6, 2012 “Where The New Textbook Dollar Goes” The National Association of College Stores. http:// www.nacs.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=_Jz-tFOW7oM%3d&tabid=1343 March 6, 2012

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Personal reflections _____________________ Kylie Being the leader for my group during the creation of this book taught me a lot. I learned that every group member is important, and if someone didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn in their assignment on time, it would affect the whole group. It was important for everyone to do their part and be dedicated to working hard. I also learned about what an issue book was. I must admit, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I have ever seen one before, and if I have I had no idea they were organized in the way ours is. It was neat to create an issue book and see how beneficial they can be for others to learn more about a debatable topic. I was glad to be able to learn about digital learning and see the benefits that can come from it.

Even though this assignment stressed me out at times, I was glad to have the opportunity to work with my group and create an issue book. I know that the skills I have learned by researching, designing, editing, and organizing will help me continue to work hard as I go through this life.

Jeff We have all researched our topics and reviewed each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backgrounds and have done thorough research on digital technology in the classroom. I have mixed feeling on the our topic because I do think classrooms do need to upgrade the technology in the classroom but I also feel like because of the economy there have been several teacher layoffs. I think that teachers should be our first priority and trying to bring back more teachers that have been laid off before upgrading technology in the classroom. Having talked with my interviewee I understand better what technology has done for her teaching and helping students learn. I do think there should be a focus to slowly add technology to classrooms so that upgrading is not a drastic change or cost.

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Canton Digital learning is an interesting topic. I did not know much about it before this assignment and through my research I have come to find out that it is very beneficial towards society and it has unlimited potential. I also learned a lot when it comes to group work, when everyone works hard you can create something great. I now know much more about digital learning because of my own research and the research of my group members.

Beth Learning about digital learning has helped me to better understand some of the basic principles of persuasion. As part of this assignment, I interviewed someone who gave me a completely new perspective on this topic and showed me that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have all of the answers. I was also able to provide her with new information, which solidified the purpose of persuasion in my mind. This has been a challenging task, but a worthwhile one that has taught me life lessons alongside the educational ones.

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Thank You for reading!